Worth the Wait
by Everhardt
Summary: Nothing that's worth having comes easy. And sometimes just waiting can be very hard.
1. Chapter 1

**Worth the Wait**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

"I'm so glad my little sister is going to high school with me. This is best day ever!" Yang's crushing bear hug squeezed the air out of Ruby's lungs.

"Please stop," was all she could mutter.

"But I'm so proud of you," Yang replied as she let go. "Do you have any idea how you have to be to get bumped ahead _two years_? My little sister is a genius!"

"Please, don't call me that. I don't want people around here thinking I'm special or anything." Ruby never thought of herself as anything special. Just an average girl. It reflected in the way she looked. From her short black hair and bangs that pretty much covered her silver eyes to the fact that she always wore the same red hoodie and black jeans, she looked quite unnoticeable. Unlike her sister, whose long mane of curly blonde hair, large lilac eyes, tight yellow shirt and brown shorts that showed off her curves just seemed to scream "look as much as you want!".

The elder girl lay a comforting arm around her sister's shoulder. "You are special, Ruby. One day you'll realize that."

"I don't know."

"C'mon, Ruby," Yang said as she pulled down Ruby's hood over her head. "How are you ever going to make friends with an attitude like that?"

"But, why would I need friends if I have you?" Ruby asked as she pulled up her hood.

"Well, actually I got some friends of my own I gotta meet so I'm gonna leave you now. Bye!" With that, she ran off, leaving a very distraught Ruby behind.

"Of course," Ruby sighed and started walking. Only to immediately bump into something and fall to the ground with a grunt.

"Excuse me!" Ruby looked up to see a girl with long white hair tied into a sideways ponytail, wearing a white dress shirt and a blue skirt. Her blue eyes seemed to be shooting lightning bolts at Ruby. "Do you even watch where you're going?"

In her shock, Ruby could only bring out a jumbled mess of noises. Unfortunately, because this only served to further agitate the other girl.

"What?! You can't speak?! What are you even doing here? Aren't you a little young to be attending high school? And judging from your lack of articulation, I can hardly see you being the proper intellectual level either. Do you even how to read?"

Now, Ruby was not a girl to enjoy conflict. She preferred to stay out of the way of hostile people and, failing that, would rather not provoke them further by arguing with them. However, something Ruby _did_ enjoy was literature. Her favourite were fairytales. She had a large collection of them, ranging from the dark originals to the child-friendly newer versions. She also enjoyed a large variety of novels and took pride in her sizeable literature collection. So when someone accuses her of illiteracy, they're crossing a line most people wouldn't suspect Ruby had.

"Oh, of course," Ruby as she got up. "Because I wasn't paying attention for a few seconds, I, of course, have to be some bumbling moron. Well guess what, I _do_ know how to read and I enjoy it quite a bit! As for my age, I happen to have been elevated by two years! So I am _not_ gonna just stand there and listen to the tirades of some stuck up _princess_!"

"It's heiress, actually." This new voice immediately cooled Ruby's temper, the soothing tone causing a rising feeling in her chest. She turned to see another girl approaching. She had long, flowing black hair that seemed to shine in the sun, a black atop her head. She wore a black dress shirt and matching pants and her eyes were a beautiful amber. Ruby could feel the heat rising to her cheeks as she stared into those golden orbs.

"Weiss Schnee," Ruby's attention was immediately drawn away from the mesmerizing eyes. "Heiress to Schnee Industries, one of the largest corporations in the world. Once known to have utilized harsh faunus labor, it has since improved things for its faunus employees. Isn't that correct, Weiss?"

Weiss, who was still shocked from Ruby's outburst, quickly regained herself and cleared her throat. "Yes, that's correct."

"So, it would be safe to assume that the heiress to such an open-minded organization would be able to overlook such an understandable mistake, like walking into someone because one wasn't paying attention."

"I...Yes, you're right." She then turned to Ruby. "I apologize for my...rant. That was unworthy of me. I've just...been really stressed lately."

"I'm sorry, too," Ruby replied. "For walking into you. And then for...blowing up in your face. I just...get really touchy when people doubt my ability to read."

"I noticed."

"Good. Now that that's settled, how about you two get a fresh start?"

"Great idea. Hello Weiss, I'm Ruby." Ruby extended her hand.

The slightest of smiles tugged at Weiss' lips as she took it. "A pleasure."

In her joy at having made a new friend, Ruby almost forgot about someone. "Oh, what's your name?" She asked, turning to the black-haired girl.

"It's Blake," she replied with a smile that made Ruby's heart soar.

"Oh goodness!" The two turned to Weiss, who was at her watch. "It's almost time. We need to get to the assembly hall." With that, she rushed ahead, Ruby and Blake following behind.

"Thanks for stepping in," Ruby spoke up. "I think I was just about ready to smack her."

"Yeah, I was getting that feeling, too," Blake chuckled. "Honestly, when I walked in saw you sitting on the floor, getting yelled at by the girl whose family was infamous for abusing faunus, I was gonna give her a piece of my mind. But when you stood up for yourself, it was a sight to behold. You really did explode."

Ruby laughed nervously. "Yeah, about that. Could we...not talk about that? Ever again? It's kinda embarrassing."

"Whatever you say," Blake said as she picked up the pace, then shouted back at Ruby. "Craterface."

This made Ruby stop. Anyone else and that would have given her embarrassment to no end. But from Blake's lips, with Blake's voice, she found herself liking her new nickname.

Noticing that the others had advanced quite a bit, she ran to catch up.

As the three of them entered the assembly hall, a loud voice greeted them. "Ruby! Over here! I saved you a spot!" There was Yang, happily waving at the group approaching her.

"Weiss. Blake. This is my sister, Yang."

Yang, meanwhile, was in shock. "You made friends already?!" She then pulled Ruby into another big bear hug. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Yang! Stop!"

Yang just laughed as she put her sister down, but was silenced by Weiss.

"There's the principal. It's starting."

Since that day, the four of them had grown inseparable, being so close that their friends even started to jokingly call them team RWBY. They also made other friends like the awkward Jaune Arc, the athletic Pyrrha Nikos, the bubbly Nora Valkyrie, the stoic Lie Ren, the rebellious Sun Wukong and the flirtatious Neptune Vasilias.

Ruby greatly cherished these friendships, but she always harbored special feelings for Blake.

 **(**)**

 **(3 Years Later)**

 **(**)**

This was it. Today was gonna be the day. Ruby was finally going to confess her feelings to Blake.

Ruby was currently headed to the roof of the high school, as she had just seen Blake walk up there a few minutes ago.

As Ruby reached the door leading to the roof, she found herself hesitating. Her heart was pounding at an insane rate and she could feel her palms getting sweaty. She closed her eyes, breathed in deeply, then out. She then opened her eyes.

 _Let's do this._ With that, she opened the door.

And froze in place. Feeling as though her heart had just been ripped out and torn to pieces in front of her eyes.

There was Blake, with Sun. They were kissing.

Ruby just stood there for what felt like an eternity, but was actually barely a second, before slamming the door shut and rushing down the stairs. Her vision became blurry as tears filled her eyes, the aching pain in her chest drowning everything else out as she ran home.

Rushing through the door without saying a word to her sister and dad, she ran up the stairs to her room.

After locking the door, she threw herself onto her bed and cried into her pillow.

 **(**)**

 **(6 years later)**

 **(**)**

Blake was feeling excited for two reasons. One, she had just gotten engaged. A year after they graduated and got an apartment together, Sun finally proposed to her, and she couldn't be happier. They decided to celebrate the day after with some friends, which was the other reason for Blake's excitement. This was gonna be the first time since they graduated from college that "Team RWBY" would all be together again. That thought also saddened Blake. All throughout high school, the four of them had basically been inseparable, spending any moment they could with each other and having countless sleepovers. Then, during their final year, things changed. For some reason, Ruby started to distance herself from her and became really awkward. Then, after graduating from college, she immediately took a job at Schnee Industries which required her to travel a lot and she was rarely available on the phone. Blake hadn't seen or spoken to her in a year, which greatly saddened her. She always knew that, sometimes, school friends grew apart after graduating, but she never thought that would happen with "RWBY".

Which is why she was incredibly happy when Yang told her Ruby would definitely come to celebrate her engagement. And that she would be bringing a "special someone".

"So, who do you think Ruby's "special someone" is gonna be?" Sun asked her. They were currently sitting at a table at their favourite bar, along with Weiss, her boyfriend Neptune, and Yang. "I mean, what kind of guy does Ruby Rose go for?"

"Hard to say," Blake replied. "She never really showed much interest in boys, so I don't know. He's probably very intelligent, though. I can't see her going for the dumb jock type."

"Ha, yeah, you're probably right. Guess we'll just have to wait and see."

As if on cue, the door opened and in walked Ruby, though it took Blake a few moments to recognize her.

The Ruby that walked in that night still had short hair, but the bangs were gone, replaced by a single fringe going down the right side of her face. On top of that, her black hair now wore red highlights. She had always talked about dying her hair, but Blake never thought that the shy girl would go through with it. She'd also ditched her hoodie and jeans in favor of a black dress shirt and a matching pants, along with black boots that looked both sturdy and elegant at the same time. As Blake refocused on her face, she noticed the pair of sunglasses Ruby was wearing. After having spotted them, Ruby started walking towards their table and took off the sunglasses, revealing shining pools of silver, and flashed them a smile that seemed to light up the room.

Blake was taken aback. She always knew the girl to be cute, but she never thought she could be so breathtakingly beautiful.

As Ruby got closer to the table, Yang jumped up and gave her a large bear hug. "Ruby, you look so beautiful! I see France was good for you!"

"Hehe, that it was indeed," Ruby replied as she broke the hug and turned to Weiss, who had also gotten up. "Good to see you, boss."

"None of that! Out here, I'm just your friend, Weiss."

" _Best_ friend, Weiss."

The two shared a giggle as they hugged. "It's good to see you again, Ruby."

"You as well." Ruby then focused her attention on Blake, who had also gotten up. "There she is. Come here." Ruby then gave Blake a deep hug, full of emotions she couldn't quite pinpoint. "Congratulations."

"Thanks. I'm really glad you're here. I missed you."

She wouldn't have noticed someone else entering the bar if that someone hadn't spoken up. "I'm not even gone for five minutes and you're already making a move on another girl?"

Blake immediately broke the hug and focused on the newcomer.

It was a woman with short brown and one orange strand running down the right side of her face, with a beret sitting atop her head. She wore a brown shirt with a black corset, black

pants and matching high-heels, along with various jewelry. She was also wearing sunglasses, but didn't bother taking them off as she approached the group.

"Don't worry, honey," Ruby said as she walked over and kissed the woman. "You know me better than that."

The woman smiled. "That I do."

Ruby then turned to the group. "Guys, this is my girlfriend, Coco."

Blake was stunned. Nine years now she and Ruby had been friends and not once did she even suspect that Ruby was homosexual. This came as quite a shock. She looked back at Sun and Neptune, who were also stunned. However, one look at the faces of Yang and Weiss told Blake that had already been well aware of Ruby's sexuality. She just shook her head and turned back to Ruby. "Ruby, you never mentioned that you liked women."

Ruby gave her a confused look. "I didn't. Hmm, me, Yang and Weiss used to talk about it all the time. But, now that you mention it, I guess you were never there. Weird. Oh well, who cares. This night isn't about me. It's about you two. C'mon, let's celebrate. I'm buying the next round."

And so the focus quickly returned to Sun and Blake's engagement and they all drank and talked and laughed.

And while Blake was slightly miffed on the fact that she had been the only one not to know something so important, it felt great to have good old Craterface back.

 **(**)**

 **(1 Year Later)**

 **(**)**

Ruby knew it. She knew this day would be hard. She knew she would be watching Blake walk down the aisle with someone else, swear to spend the rest of her life with someone else and then kiss that someone else. Ruby knew all this, but she only truly realized it when she saw Blake in her wedding dress. Her black contrasting against the dress' pure white, her cat ears free from the bow, her eyes highlighted by the right make-up. She looked absolutely stunning. And all Ruby could think of was how it was all for someone else. This was gonna be the happiest day of Blake's life and all Ruby could do was think of herself. Some friend she turned out to be.

As she straightened out her own red dress, she noticed Blake approaching. "I'm sorry about you and Coco."

Ruby looked up at her, a sad smile on her face. "Yang told you about that, huh?"

"Yes, but why? Why did she have to be the one to tell me? Why couldn't you tell me yourself?"

"You were busy with wedding preparations. I didn't want to bring you down by mentioning something so insignificant..."

"Breaking up with someone isn't insignificant," Blake interrupted. "You two were together for almost a year. I'd say that's pretty significant." They then spent a moment staring at each other. "Seriously, Ruby. Why am I always the last one to hear of these things?"

 _Because I'm in love with you. Even after seven years and starting a relationship with someone else, all I could ever think about was you. Because all I ever wanted to do was get over you, yet with every moment we spend together I find myself loving you more and more. All I want is to be the one awaiting you at the end of the aisle, but I know that won't happen, so instead, I push you away. But no matter how much I push, you'll always find a way of pulling me back in._

"Because you have Sun now," Ruby answered instead. "He's gonna be the most important thing in your life from now on. Face it, Blake. The days of "Team RWBY" are at an end."

"I..." Blake's voice was shaking. "I always hoped things would stay the same between us."

"I'll always be your friend, Blake," Ruby said as she placed a comforting hand on Blake's shoulder. "But it's time that each of us went their own way." Tears started pooling in Blake's eyes, a single one escaping across her cheek. Ruby gently wiped it away with her thumb. "No tears, Blakey. You'll ruin your make-up."

This got a quick laugh out of Blake. "Promise you'll always be my friend?"

"I promise. I couldn't get you out of my life, no matter how hard I try."

This caused Blake to laugh even more, but was interrupted by Weiss and Yang entering.

"You should get ready! It's about to begin!"

"Right!" Blake then turned back to Ruby, who gave her a reassuring smile and a nod. After returning it, Blake sat back down and let Weiss check over her again.

Meanwhile, Ruby left the room with Yang.

"You gonna be alright, lil sis?"

Ruby breathed deeply. "This is gonna be hell, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess so." She then took Ruby's hand in her own. "Hey, whatever happens, I'm here for you. You know that, right?"

Ruby smiled at her and nodded.

 **(**)**

Ruby knew it would be difficult, but she still wasn't ready. Watching Blake walk down the aisle, watching her hold hands with Sun as they both swore themselves to each other. It really was hell. Every second felt like her heart was being broken into tiny pieces. Then came the famous line.

"Should anyone know a reason why these two shouldn't be joined, may he speak now or be forever silent."

Part of her wanted to speak up. To confess her love and beg Blake to take her instead. But she didn't. She chose to remain forever silent. Because she knew Blake would reject her. She knew she would do nothing but ruin this wonderful day. She remained silent. For Blake's happiness.

She knew she didn't have a chance. She knew it was over. She knew...

"I do."

She had lost her forever.

 **(**)**

 **Author's Note: So, there you have. This is the prologue to a longer story that I'll hopefully finish. And please, tell me if there was something you didn't like. I would happily look over this again and make improvements if necessary. Until then, thank you for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

 **(6 Years Later)**

The screeching of tires could be heard as Ruby parked her car. Hastily grabbing the four packages in the passenger seat, she exited her car and ran up to the apartment complex. Reaching the door, she immediately rang the bell labeled Wukong.

After a few moments of impatient waiting, a crackle came from the intercom as a feminine voice spoke up.

" _Who is it?"_

"Ruby!"

Once the buzzer rang, she continued running, ignoring the elevator for the sake of the stairs. Reaching the right floor in seconds, she bolted for the apartment she was looking for. The door was open and an amused cat-faunus was standing in the doorway.

"Sorry," Ruby panted as she reached her. "Sorry I'm late. There was traffic."

"Ruby, you're 10 minutes early."

"I know! I was gonna be here half an hour ago, but the damned traffic..."

Blake just giggled as she looked down at the packages Ruby had brought up. "I hope you didn't damage anything during your mad dash up here."

"No, no, everything's fine," Ruby replied as she held up the packages. "See?"

Blake gave her a confused look. "Four packages? You were only supposed to bring a cake and a present."

"Well, I thought I'd also get something nice for you and Sun. Banana bread for Sun and a fish pie for you."

Blake immediately took the packages and inhaled deeply. "I love you, Ruby."

Ruby felt a sting in her heart as she kept her happy mask. "So, can I come in?"

"Of course! She's already waiting for you."

The pain in Ruby's chest was instantly filled with genuine joy. As she walked in and Blake called out to someone, she could hear the sound of tiny feet rushing towards. Soon after, what looked like a tiny version of Blake came into sight and jumped into Ruby's arms.

"Aunt Ruby!"

"Hey! There's the birthday girl!" Ruby cheered as she held the little faunus up in front of her. "How does it feel to be five years old, Amber?"

"It feels great!" Amber Wukong, the one good thing to come out of Ruby's heartbreak. The little bundle of joy was the spitting image of her mother, from the black hair to the amber eyes to the little kitty ears twitching on top of her head.

"Gosh, five years old already. Seems like you were born just yesterday," Ruby said as she pressed the little girl to her chest. She then put her down and let her Amber guide her into the living room, which had been littered with birthday decorations.

Amber sat down on the couch, her little legs swinging back and forth as Ruby sat down next to her.

"You excited for your party?"

"Yes! It's gonna be so fun! Things are always great when everyone is here!" Amber bounced happily. "How long until they get here?"

"A few minutes, at least."

"So long?!" Amber grunted as she let herself fall back onto the couch. "I hate waiting!" After a few moments of staring at the ceiling, she zoomed up and beamed at Ruby. "Can you read me something?"

Ruby returned the smile. "Sure." She got up, grabbed the nearest book and sat down, Amber sitting on her lap and snuggling into her as she read.

After a few minutes, the doorbell rang and Sun came out of the kitchen to answer it. A short while afterwards, Weiss and Neptune walked in with their son.

"Hans!" Amber screamed in joy as she jumped up and ran over to the boy.

Hans Schnee was about the same age as Amber and, just like her, completely resembled his mother, with his short white hair and clear blue.

After exchanging greetings, the two kids ran off to play, leaving Neptune to chat with Sun while Weiss sat down to talk with Ruby.

One after another, more guests arrived. Yang showed up, giving everyone in the apartment a bone crushing hug. Then Jaune and Pyrrha arrived with their son Atlas, followed by Ren and Nora and a few of Amber's friends along with their parents.

Once all the expected guests had shown up, Sun had everyone stand around the dinner table, with Amber sitting at the head, and sing her Happy Birthday.

As they sang, Blake brought out the cake. It was a chocolate cake covered in chocolate frosting and on the top it said "Happy 5th Birthday Amber" in white chocolate chips. Five candles were burning on it as Blake set it down in front of Amber.

The beaming girl took a moment to make a wish, inhaled deeply and blew out all the candles in a single stroke. As the adults applauded, the kids were swarming her, asking her what she wished for.

"I can't tell you," she said, "or else it won't come true."

After they had eaten the cake, and it took all of Ruby's restraint to only eat a single piece of her delicious creation, they turned to the presents.

Amber happily tore through the many gifts, overjoyed at the sight of all the different new toys. But the gift she liked the most was the book Ruby had gotten her.

"Can you read it to me, Aunt Ruby?"

"Not now, sweetheart. You're friends are waiting for you."

"Okay. Will you read it to me tonight?"

"I'd love to. But I'm afraid I won't be able to stay as long as I usually do. I'm leaving on a business trip tomorrow, so I gotta go to bed early."

"Oh." Amber's disappointment was palpable.

"Don't worry, sweety. I'm sure your parents will be more than happy to read to you."

"But I like it when Aunt Ruby reads to me."

"Tell you what. When I get back, I'll come and read as much to you as you want, okay?" The little faunus beamed and bounced with joy and Ruby couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, now go back to your friends." The girl nodded and happily ran away.

As the afternoon passed into evening the party started thinning out, until only Yang and Ruby remained.

While Yang played with Amber, Ruby helped Blake clean up. "I really appreciate the help, Ruby."

"Ah, don't mention it. It's just a bit of paper."

"It's not just that. You really saved me with the cake. Things have been so busy lately, I just...I'm glad you're here."

Ruby paused. Something was going on. Something she couldn't quite see. "I'll always be here for you. And Amber."

"I know. Thank you."

"And we're done," Ruby said as she stuffed the last piece of wrapping paper into a garbage bag. "Yang, it's time!"

"Right," Yang replied as she walked up and picked a few garbage bags. "This was fun. I had a great time."

"So did I," Ruby said, before she felt something latch itself onto her.

Looking down, she saw Amber tightly hugging her legs. "Please, don't go," she sniffed.

"Aww," Ruby knelt down. "Don't worry Amber. I'll be back in two weeks."

"Things aren't as fun around here without you."

"Oh shush, I'm sure your parents are a heck of a lot more fun than me," Ruby said as she looked up at Blake, only for her to turn away. She then turned back to Amber, who was just looking at the ground.

"I'm gonna miss you."

Ruby hugged the little girl, who hugged her back as tightly as she could. "I'll miss you, too, sweety." With that, he got up. "See ya."

Amber just silently waved goodbye at her. After quickly waving back, Ruby turned around and left with Yang.

 **(**)**

"Ah, that was a fun party," Yang exclaimed as she stretched herself. Now that they had tossed the bags into the dumpster, Ruby and Yang were headed for their cars. "Now it's off to pre-flight sleep for my little sis."

"Ugh, don't remind me." Ruby slumped. "I have to get up at 3 in the morning."

"Yeah, well, you chose a job that would have you travel a lot."

"Right." As they approached their cars, Ruby reached for her keys, only to wind up searching her entire. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

"What's up?"

"I lost my keys. I must've dropped them. Gah, girl pockets are the worst. I gotta go back. I probably dropped them in the apartment. See ya, Yang."

"Later, Rubes."

 **(**)**

After having had the good fortune of reaching the door as another resident was entering, Ruby was now entering the Wukong apartment.

"Well, maybe if you could keep a job for once I wouldn't have to bust my hump working at the diner just so we don't get thrown out of the apartment!" Blake's loud voice startled Ruby, causing her to halt in her movement. "And we wouldn't have to ask Ruby for the cake!"

"Of course! All I hear nowadays is "Ruby this" and "Ruby that"! You know what? If you love your precious Ruby so much, why don't you just marry her instead?"

"Maybe I should! At least she is able to provide for a family!"

That was it. Ruby had to stop this. But as she ran into the living room, she again froze in place. There was Amber, sitting on the couch, crying to herself.

As she heard Ruby enter, she looked up. Her eyes widened and, without saying a word, she jumped into Ruby's arms and cried into her shoulder.

After a while, she stopped crying and Ruby sat them down on the couch.

"They've been fighting a lot lately," Amber finally said. "It's why I didn't want you to leave. They don't get angry with you guys around."

"Oh, sweety. Why didn't you tell me?"

Amber just shook her head. "I...I wanted to pretend everything was fine. That we could all be happy together. Forever." There was a moment of silence. Well, whatever silence there could be with Sun and Blake arguing in the kitchen. Amber looked up into Ruby's eyes. "Ruby, could you please read me something. I don't wanna fall asleep to mommy and daddy fighting again. It gives me nightmares."

"Of course, sweetheart." Ruby picked Amber up, along with the book she'd gotten her, and carried her to her room.

After tucking Amber in, Ruby started to read. After a while, she was able to block out Sun and Blake's voices and, by the faint smile on Amber's face, she could tell she could as well.

After a good half hour of reading, Amber was sound asleep. Ruby closed the book, gave her a quick peck on the cheek and left the room.

It was then that she noticed the fighting had died down and, indeed, when she walked into the living room she saw Blake sitting on the couch.

The woman's amber eyes went wide when she saw Ruby walking up to her. "Ruby? What are you doing here?"

"I lost my keys. I came up here looking for them, but instead found Amber crying on the couch while you and Sun were fighting." She sat down across from Blake. "What's going on?" She looked around. "Where is Sun?"

"Heh, who knows. He got angry and stormed out like every night. I've no idea where he runs off to." She was rubbing her hands. "I used to love that about him, you know? He was so relaxed. So free. But now his care-free attitude has come back to bite us in the ass. The man can't keep a job, Ruby. Every job he gets, he quickly loses because he winds up breaking some rule or another. And I have to work double shifts at the diner just to pay the bills. You know I haven't read a single book in over a year. I haven't even had time to read to my daughter. And now she's crying herself to sleep." Blake let her head fall into her hands as she sobbed into her palms.

Ruby placed a hand on her shoulder. As Blake looked up, Ruby took her in her arms and let her cry on her shoulder.

"I can't take this anymore, Ruby," Blake sobbed. "I can't take it anymore."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

Sun quietly opened the door and entered the apartment. It was noon now, he had been away all night and most of the day. He knew it wasn't right, disappearing for such a long time, but he just couldn't come back.

He thought it had been fine. As they set up the party and celebrated Amber's birthday, everything seemed great. Like all the trouble they've been dealing with had simply vanished. But, of course, it was just a dream. And, once it was over, they came crashing back to reality. It all started with Sun making an off-handed comment about how clingy Ruby was with Amber. He didn't mean anything by it, it was just an attempt to get a conversation going with his wife. It had been a while since they actually interacted with each other.

Sadly, Blake took it completely differently. She saw it as him taking a shot at Ruby and quickly defended her friend.

"At least she's there for her," she'd said.

That's when it all went to crap. Just as it did every god-damned day. Whenever Blake was at home, she would either ignore Sun or argue with him. And it aggravated him to no end.

Mostly because she was always right.

It all started when he lost his first job. Even as a grown-up, Sun was a bit of a rebel. He enjoyed sneaking out on work, calling in sick even though he was fine and pocketing a little extra food from the cafeteria without paying for it. The old man who ran the place liked Sun and had no problem overlooking these...habits.

But then the old man retired and his son took his place. Sun figured if he just remained more subtle, he could keep on doing what he did.

He thought wrong.

Before he knew it, Sun was fired.

At that time, Blake was still supportive.

"It's fine, Sun," she'd said. "I'll just work a few extra shifts at the diner until you get a new job."

And Sun was grateful. He really was. He quickly managed to find a new job and vowed to kick his old habits for the sake of his family.

Too bad his new boss was a complete bastard. He would force them into unpaid overtime under threat of unemployment, he would come down to mock them when he was in a good mood and would outright harass them whenever he was in a bad mood.

Then there was the racism. He enjoyed bullying his faunus employees.

And then, for some reason, he started singling out Sun. He would always go out of his way to seek out Sun and make fun of the "monkey boy".

And Sun took it. As much as he hated the guy, he wanted to keep the job for the sake of his family.

That is, until Blake came to visit one day. Once she left, his boss pulled him aside and made him an offer.

"Give me your wife," the bastard said. "Just one night. I'll pay you. And give you a promotion."

Naturally, Sun refused. Naturally, his boss fired him. Sun wasn't about to take it lying down. He wanted to take the bastard to court. Unfortunately, a problem came up.

"I know about your past. Drug possession, theft, quite the criminal record. How strange that I don't recall any of it from your resume."

So Sun backed down. Not that it did him an good, his former boss made it public anyway.

With his criminal past now known, fewer people were willing to hire him. And having grown bitter from this experience, Sun would always clash with those who did.

With every job he lost, the distance between him and Blake grew.

Things seemed to get better once Ruby entered the picture. Despite not knowing what was actually going on between them, Blake's ever faithful friend was more than willing to lend a hand.

At first, Sun was grateful. Blake seemed less stressed, which made him feel less guilty. But then he realized Blake was still turning away from him and more towards Ruby. That's when the fighting started.

Ever since then they had been fighting non-stop. The fights would usually start out differently, but would always end up at the same two topics: Sun's unemployment and Blake "obsession" with Ruby.

The thing is, Sun wasn't actually angry at Ruby, as much as he wanted to be. He was angry at himself. It was his own stupidity that had gotten them into this mess and Ruby was only trying to help.

But, the more they argued, the more Sun realized something. Something that became painfully obvious last night.

"I wish I had never accepted your proposal!" The malice with which she uttered those words quickly dissipated as the statement sunk in. But she didn't take it back. She didn't want to. Because they both knew it was true.

Blake didn't love him anymore.

And, if Sun was completely honest, he didn't love Blake anymore.

And the truly shocking thing was that Sun was pretty sure it had started long before he lost his job.

After Amber was born, they never had sex. At first, Sun thought it was just due to lack of time and energy, but as the years went by he realized he simply wasn't attracted to Blake anymore. And he knew the same was true for her. But it didn't bother them because why should it? They still cared about each other, they had been a couple for years and now they had a little girl. So they pretended everything was fine. But it wasn't.

The last night made Sun realize that this last, horrible year had only served to accelerate what was already inevitable. It couldn't go on like this. Sun knew this. Something had to happen.

He turned when he heard keys in the door. As Blake walked in with Amber, grocery bags in hand, their eyes met and they shared a look that said everything that needed to be said.

"Blake. We need to talk."

Something had to end.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

"So, Sun's living with you now?"

Weiss gave a slight nod as she sipped her tea. Now that they were split up and Sun moved out, Blake felt like she needed to talk to someone, so she invited Weiss and Yang over.

"Neptune gave him the guest room, so he's fine." She took another sip.

"You sure you and Amber shouldn't have moved in with them?" Yang asked.

"Nah, Sun alone will probably be less stressful than me and Amber."

"Yeah right. He and Neptune have been bugging me to no end. "Reliving the good ol' days," they call it. "Two grown men playing at being teenagers again," I call it."

"Well, sorry for burdening you with him then."

Weiss shook her head. "Don't worry about it."

"So, what are you gonna do now?" Yang asked.

Blake just shook her head. "I don't know. Divorcing Sun is gonna settle a few things, but I'm afraid it's gonna bring new problems. Like, who's gonna take care of Amber while I'm at work. I mean it's not like I can afford a babysitter."

As Blake looked down at her tea, Yang turned to Weiss, who just silently nodded. Then Yang plopped her hand down on the Yang, startling Blake. Once Blake looked up, Yang removed her hand, revealing a key lying on the table.

Blake stared at it a few moments. "What's that?"

"It's a key."

"I can see that. What's it for?"

"Ruby's apartment."

Blake's eyes widened as confusion turned to realization. She looked from the keys to Yang. "I have an apartment."

"You have a dump," Yang replied. "And you have to work your butt off to pay for it. If you live at Ruby's, you won't have to pay, so you won't have to work extra shifts. You can _relax_ ," Yang made sure to put extra emphasis on the word, "which is something you obviously need to do."

Blake shook her head. "I don't want to..."

"OH MY GOD! Why do you insist on making this so difficult? We already discussed this with Ruby. She is more than happy to share her apartment. Especially if it means giving you a break. Besides, now that she is on her business trip, you and Amber will have some time to settle in and get comfortable."

There was a moment of silence before a gesture turned Blake's attention to Weiss. "I know you don't want to be a burden to us. But this isn't about you. This is about Amber. Let me tell you, from mother to mother, that all you should be thinking about is what's best for her. So tell me, Blake!" Weiss' clear blue eyes were piercing through Blake. "What's best for Amber?"

 **(**)**

Blake sighed contentedly as she lay on the couch, taking note of how much more comfortable it was than her own. In fact, everything in Ruby's apartment was better than what she was used to. The place was bigger, everything was a lot cleaner and the view from the balcony was _amazing_. They had a perfect view of both the city and the forest it bordered on.

She could hear Amber humming happily as she drew something nearby. The sound made her smile. Amber had fallen in love with the apartment the moment they'd entered it. Running around, staring at everything in awe. It was at that moment that Blake realized that, yes, they had never been to Ruby's apartment before. It was always her visiting them. The thought saddened Blake. It made their relationship feel so one-sided. Which made her regret moving in again, but one look at Amber confirmed that she made the right choice. The girl adored their new home and had wasted no time inspecting every nook and cranny. From the shiny new kitchen, to the enormous book shelf and flat-screen TV in the living room to the insanely comfortable and quite bouncy bed in the bed room. She was truly happy.

Now that she had been freed from most of her problems, even if just temporarily, Blake took the time to breath deeply and enjoy her moment of peace.

That is, until the beeping started.

Opening her eyes, Blake looked around, trying to find the source of the irritating sound. Amber was also looking around, confused, before getting up and walking over to the TV. After a few seconds, she pushed a button and the screen flipped on, revealing Ruby's face as she spoke up.

" _Hello? Ah, there you are. I see you. Can you see me?"_

"Hey, Aunt Ruby," Amber cheerfully replied as she waved at the television.

"Hey, sweetie." Ruby waved back. "Have you and mommy settled in alright?"

"Yes, you're home is so nice. Your bed is so comfy and nice to bounce. Though doesn't let me bounce on it," she pouted.

" _You should listen to your mommy, Amber. She is very smart. Trust me, bouncing around on it is not a good idea. You could get hurt."_ She then lifted her hand to massage her head. _"Bad."_

Blake just shook her head. Imagining Ruby bouncing around on a bed and hurting herself was something she could far too easily imagine. "Thank you for letting us stay here."

" _Hey, what are friends for? I'm happy to help."_

"I appreciate it. And don't worry, I'll be sure to have us both out of here as soon as you come back."

At that, Ruby vehemently shook her head. _"None of that. You too will be staying there for as long as you need to get a better job. You've been working at that crummy diner for far too long."_

"But..."

" _No buts. You get started on that job search. And don't even think of moving out until you've got something decent and secure. Got it?"_

Blake smiled. Ruby could be so stern when she was serious. "Got it."

Ruby also smiled. _"Alright. Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about the apartment. Don't worry about water, electricity or any of that. I got it covered. As for food, I didn't really expect new roommates, so I didn't exactly leave the fridge brimming."_

"We brought our own groceries."

" _That's good. But it won't last. I got a pre-paid card in my nightstand. Hasn't got much on it, but it should keep you two fed until I come back. If you need to buy new clothes or anything reasonably priced, that's fine, too. Now then, was there anything else...Nope, that's it. Any questions? No? Cool. Then I'll see you in two weeks. Bye."_

"Oh, aunt Ruby? Aunt Ruby?"

" _Yes, Amber?"_

"I'm really looking forward to living with you. It's gonna be so fun!"

" _Aww, yeah it is. I can't wait to come back to you guys."_

And just like that, Blake got a warm, fuzzy feeling. Something she hadn't felt since the good old days of "Team RWBY". After the turmoil and hardship of the past year, she felt like she found a place where she could just be happy. Her initial doubts about moving in now completely gone, she felt like this was a place she could stay. Like this...

" _Oh, one more thing."_ Blake looked up at the screen, where Ruby was giving her a warm smile. _"Welcome home."_

Like this was where she belonged.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY.**

Blake sighed as she let the letter in her hand fall to the table. _Another rejection._ Over the past week, she'd sent over a dozen applications to different jobs and only gotten back negative results. She knew she shouldn't be too impatient. That there were still some that hadn't replied yet. But it didn't really make her feel better. She let herself fall back against the couch and just sat there, in silence.

Amber was currently over at Yang's, for which Blake was grateful. She didn't want her little girl to see her mommy like this. She had to be strong for her daughter. She had to be.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar beeping. Ruby was calling. Blake quickly got up, walked over to the TV and pressed the appropriate buttons.

Ruby's face appeared on the screen. _"Hey, Blake. How are things?"_

Blake offered her a weak smile. "Hey, Ruby. Things are...fine, I guess."

A puzzled look appeared on Ruby's face. "Blake. What's going on?"

For a second, Blake considered keeping her worries to herself, but quickly decided that Ruby would just pry them out of her anyway. "I just...got another rejection. That's the fourth one by now."

" _Blake,"_ Ruby's voice was full of compassion now, _"I know how much that must suck, but you have to keep trying."_

"I know. I just...Really? Four rejections without even offering to meet me? Is my resume really that bad? Am I really that unqualified? Am I not at all able to support myself?" She looked down to the ground. "My daughter?"

There was a moment of silence before Ruby spoke up. _"Blake."_ Blake looked up. _"You're an amazing mother. An amazing woman. Do not let a few rejections get you down. You're better than that. You've proven. You worked under circumstances for a year to take of your family. Your ability to support a family is beyond question. You are strong, fierce and intelligent. You will get a job and when you do we are going to celebrate and you are going to pay because you will be able to afford it and I'm a damned leech."_

Blake laughed softly. "Thank you, Ruby. You always know the right thing to say. I feel much better now." She took a moment smiling at Ruby to continue. "You know what's good about me not getting job?"

"What's that?"

"I get to stay here. I can't wait for you to come back, Ruby. It'll be just like old times when we had sleepovers."

" _Except that there won't be any grown-ups there to tell us what to do, so we can stay up for as long we want."_

"Well, we should set an example for Amber _._ We don't want her staying up until early morning just because we do that, right?"

" _You go ahead and do that, mommy, but this cool aunt is gonna go ahead and do as she likes."_

"Really? I never figured you to be such a rebel, Ruby."

A slight blush graced Ruby's cheeks. _"Hey, I was always the good one of the group. I think I'm entitled to a little bit of bad."_

Blake giggled. Ruby was always so adorable when she got defensive. "Alright, alright. Just, please, don't do anything crazy like getting insanely drunk or bringing a woman home."

At that, something in Ruby's face changed. An expression of sadness rushed across her face in a second. You could have blinked and missed it. But Blake didn't blink. So the smile Ruby forced onto her face didn't convince her one bit. _"Don't worry, Blake. I won't be doing any of that. I'll try to at least be a little responsible. Oh, where is Amber anyway?"_

"She's over at Yang's."

" _Aww, I wanted to talk to her, too. Oh well, guess I'll try tomorrow."_

Blake nodded. "Alright, then. Good night, Ruby."

" _Good night, Blake."_

Blake switched off the screen and sat back down, contemplating what she had just witnessed. Was something going on with Ruby that she didn't know about? Again?

 **(**)**

"Don't worry, Blake," Ruby sighed, a sad smile on her lips. "You'll never have to worry about me bringing a girl home."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

"Are we there, yet?"

The question annoyed Blake. It was the third time Amber had asked her that since they started driving and it was starting to get grating. "No, Amber. Five more minutes at the most."

Seemingly satisfied by the answer, Amber started looking out the window. Blake could use all the quiet she could get. Ruby had been acting weird. While she denied it, Blake knew it to be true. However, she didn't pry too hard, as she could feel that, whatever it was, it wasn't something one should discuss over a screen.

So, she went to Yang and Weiss.

" _She's always been like that,"_ Yang said. _"You know how she is."_

Blake did know. Ruby had always been...unique. Adorable, smart, kind, but also incredibly socially awkward. So her being weird was pretty much normal. But Blake always it was different for her. True, there was a time when Ruby had distanced herself from her, but she came back and they became closer than ever. She was practically a sister for Blake and a second mother for Amber. She thought the days of her being kept out of the important happenings in Ruby's life were gone. Which just made it hurt more to find out that wasn't the case. So, she was going to confront Ruby. The two of them would sit down and talk and Ruby would get out of it until she told Blake everything.

Nodding slightly to herself, she parked outside of the airport and got out, taking Amber with her.

As they waited at the terminal, Blake was growing impatient. And with the impatience came the doubts.

 _Perhaps there's a reason she's keeping this from me. Perhaps...I'm the reason. Maybe she's just pretending to be okay with me and Amber living with her. Maybe we're actually disrupting her life. I know she loves Amber, but taking care of a child is a huge burden. Perhaps..._

"Aunt Ruby!" Amber interrupted her thoughts as she stormed towards the other woman. As Ruby knelt down and took the girl in her arms, Blake approached them.

Ruby turned to her. She looked tired. Really tired. "Hey, Ruby. How your flight?"

"Ugh, horrible! The food was horrid, the plane kept shaken and I was stuck sitting in between two guys who snored as if they had jackhammers shoved down there throats."

And, just like that, all the fears and anxieties had been replaced with sympathy. This woman who so graciously gave them a place to stay was exhausted and what she needed now was a good rest, not a difficult discussion. Blake's worries could wait. "How about we get you home so you can get to bed?"

"Yes, please!" Blake smiled as Ruby's face lit up.

 **(**)**

Once they'd gotten home, Ruby immediately fell into bed. Amber took it upon herself to climb in as well and cuddle up to her beloved aunt.

Blake, in the meanwhile, decided that she should get some coffee. She needed something to calm her nerves.

"Hey, Blakey!" Yang wasn't helping. "What'cha doin'?"

"Drinking coffee," Blake deadpanned.

"Weren't you gonna pick up my sister?"

"I already did. She went to bed the second we got home. Amber crawled in with her, so I chose to come here."

"Didn't you want to crawl in as well?" Yang smirked.

"I wasn't tired."

"But if you had been?"

Blake shrugged, slightly annoyed. "I don't know. Maybe. Wouldn't be the first time. Why is it so important?"

"It's not. I just thought it'd be adorable. Did you take pictures?"

 _Of course._ "No."

"Aww, you're no fun."

What do you want, Yang? Don't you have some unwitting victim you can hit on?"

"Excuse, I wouldn't call any woman subjected to _this_ body a victim, would you?"

"No, it's being subjected to your personality that makes them a victim."

"Ouch, kitty got claws."

Blake just shook her head. "I'm sorry, I just...I came here to think."

"About...?"

"What we discussed earlier this week."

"Oh."

"Oh?"

Yang sighed, then looked Blake in the eye. "Listen, Blake. For the sake of my sister, I tried not to say anything. But it's pretty clear that it's tearing her apart. I think it's time you knew."

"Knew what?"

"Just so you know, we never told you about this because we just thought it would make things difficult. We didn't want to take that chance. And then...we just figured it didn't matter. But...watching it eat away at my sister. Day by day. Year by year."

"What are you talking about? She only recently started acting strange."

"No, Blake. It's been like this for years. You were just too focused on your own things to realize it. I mean, are you even aware Ruby hasn't been with a woman since Coco?"

This news came as a real surprise to Blake. She had no idea. "Why not?"

"Her heart is fixated on one thing. One person. As long as that's the case, she won't be able to open it to anybody else."

"Okay, so why doesn't she just confess to her."

"Because she already rejected her."

"What?! And Ruby is still in love with her? Why the hell would she be in love with someone who doesn't love her back?" Blake was furious. The mere thought of Ruby being heartbroken made her sick. "Who is this girl? Tell me, Yang! Who the hell is this woman who broke Ruby's heart? Who is it that she's so fixated with, that she couldn't possibly..."

And just like that, the pieces fell into place. Who? Who was it that Ruby was so fixated on? Who was it that Ruby was always with?

Her jaw dropped and she looked up at Yang in disbelief. Yang's eyes were full of sorrow as she nodded.

"I don't...understand. She never..."

"She never had to. You already rejected her on that roof."

The roof. Now Blake remembered. Her and Sun's first kiss had been interrupted by the door to the roof being suddenly opened and slammed shut. It was Ruby. And Blake had...

"Why? Why didn't she just tell me?"

"I already told you. Ruby telling you would've made things really awkward between. And as you and Sun grew closer, she decided there was no point in telling you."

Blake took a moment to process this. "Coco?"

Yang nodded. "Ruby thought she could get over you with Coco. It didn't work. Even after all those years, she still loved you."

"Why? She was always so supportive of my relationship. My wedding. Amber."

"She couldn't be your girlfriend. And she couldn't get away from you. So, she chose to be your friend instead. And Amber...Amber was my last hope. She seemed to...change something in Ruby. Ruby gave her all her love and Amber happily returned it. I thought that would be enough to make her forget about you. But even so, she would always sneak longing glances at you. And I realized something." Blake noticed that Yang was clenching her fists. "This love has turned into a disease. And it is eating away at her. That is why I'm telling you this. If she doesn't tell you, if you two don't clear the air, her feelings will fester until there is nothing left of my lil' sis but a hollow shell." There tears in her eyes. "Please, Blake. Set her free."

Blake gulped and nodded. She then got up and walked home.

 **(**)**

Blake looked at the clock. 8 a.m. After she had gotten home, she'd waited for Ruby to get up. As it got late, she realized that wasn't going to happen that day, so she slept on the couch. Or tried to, at least. Her thoughts were keeping her awake all through the night, so she barely got any sleep. Now she knew how Ruby felt yesterday.

The click of the bed room door drew her attention as she watched Ruby walk into the living room, stretching and yawning.

As she noticed her, she gave her a big smile. "Morning!"

Blake didn't return it. She couldn't. She couldn't believe that smile was real. She couldn't stop thinking about all the emotions buried deep beneath it.

Ruby was slightly put off by Blake's grim expression. "Something wrong?"

"We need to talk!"

Put off by the seriousness of that statement, Ruby was a little stunned. "O-okay. What about?"

Blake gestured for Ruby to sit in front of her. After hesitating slightly, Ruby complied.

"Uh, so, what's up?"

"I know." Blake didn't want to beat around the bush.

"You know what?"

"I know about your feelings for me."

The reaction was instantaneous. Ruby's eyes widened, her jaw dropped and all colour vanished from her face. "W-what?"

"I know everything, Ruby. And I wanted to talk about it."

"N-no. No! We don't need to talk! There's nothing to talk about! We're friends! Just friends!"

"Yes, we're friends. And friends, real friends, tell each other the truth. So, please, Ruby, stop hiding! I can't bear to see you hurting like this."

Ruby was wavering. Blake could see it. The mask she had been wearing for years was slowly crumbling and tears started to form in her eyes. Then they fell. She threw her face into her hands and bawled.

"I-I tried, Blake," she sobbed. "I tried to be strong. To be a good friend. All...all I ever wanted was for you to be happy. I-I thought that that would be enough. But...but it still...it hurt so bad. Every moment seeing you with Sun made me want to cut my own heart out. It hurt so much." Ruby felt warm arms wrap themselves around her as she was pressed against Blake. After a moment, she wrapped her arms around Blake's neck and cried into her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Blake. I'm so so so so so sorry. I should've told you, I know. I just..."

"Shh, it's okay, Ruby. It's okay. You don't have to apologize. I'm the one who caused you so much pain. I'm the one who made you suffer. I'm the one who should be apologizing." And so she let her own tears flow and they just sat there, crying in each others arms for who knows how long.

Eventually, they stopped crying and broke apart, looking at each others as genuine smiles graced their lips.

"Feeling better?" Blake asked.

"You have no idea," Ruby replied. "Thank you. So much." After a few moments of silence, Ruby spoke up again. "So, what happens now?"

"Now, I'm gonna go to bed. And you are gonna go thank your sister for opening my eyes."

"Yang, I should've known," she chuckled.

"Hey, just to settle things. If me living here is too weird for you..."

"Shut it! I don't want to hear about that! I love you, remember? And I love Amber. So the two of you are gonna be living here for as long as you need, got it?"

Blake smiled. It was nice to know she wasn't gonna lose her friend.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY.**

"I'm so glad you're okay, now!" Yang exclaimed as she gave Ruby a bear-hug. After Ruby and Blake had their heart to heart, they invited Yang and Weiss over to talk.

"Yang, come on. It's not like I was sick."

"Yes, it was!" Yang pulled back and looked into Ruby's eyes. "I could see you slowly dying on the inside. I was losing my little sister."

"There's no need to be so dramatic. Besides, it's over now. I've aired out my feelings and now we can continue to be friends. Right, Blake?" As Ruby turned to her friend, the faunus smiled and nodded.

"Friends, huh? Honestly, a small part of me was hoping she would return your feelings and you two could finally hook up."

Ruby just shook her head. "Blake's straight, Yang. There's nothing to be done about it. But, now that I've finally got some closure, maybe now I can finally find a woman who will return my feelings."

"Hey, if you're looking for a girl, I got a few old "contacts"," Yang suggested. "I could hook you up."

Ruby shared a look with Blake and Weiss before turning back to Yang. "Uhh, that's very...kind of you, Yang. But I think I'll pass."

"Really? Why?"

"Because any smart person would wanna stay well away from any woman who would let you touch her," Weiss spoke up.

"Bah, that's exactly the kind of woman Ruby needs right now. Now that's she's dealt with her emotional baggage, she needs to take care of her sexual frustration."  
"Yang!"

"What? You haven't had sex in over 6 years. The mere thought makes nauseous."

"Okay," Blake interjected. "Enough of that. Could we please talk about something completely different?"

After a moment of silence, Weiss spoke up. "Neptune and I are splitting up."

Another moment of silence as everyone just stared at her. "What?!"

"You heard me."

"What do you mean, you're splitting up?" Ruby asked. "Where did this come from?"

Weiss sighed. "After Blake and Sun split up, I decided to take a serious look at my own relationship. Honestly, I feel out of love with the man years ago, but decided to keep the marriage going for comfort's sake. But, once I heard what was going on between Sun and Blake, I realized I had to end it. So I sat Neptune down, we talked and both decided it was for the best."

"Weiss," Ruby spoke up. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Why should I?" Weiss replied, a slight bitter tone in her voice. "You were all so focused on the Ruby and Blake situation, I figured you could care less about my problems."

"Weiss." Ruby took her hand. "I know I've selfish lately. And I'm sorry. I should've payed more attention to you."

Weiss looked up and offered her a small smile. "It's fine, Ruby. I'm not angry. It's just a little frustrating when something big is happening in your life and everybody else is ignoring it."

"We're not ignoring it. I'll prove it to you. Today, we're gonna focus on making you feel better. Whatever you need, we'll take care of it."

"Ruby, I appreciate the offer, but really..."  
"Oh, I have an idea!" Yang exclaimed. "Let's go to the gym!"

"Excuse me?"

"There's nothing better to vent than exercise. Trust me, Weiss. By the time we're finished, you'll have completely forgotten about Neptune. Let' go!"

 **(**)**

"Come on, Weiss. Just a few more laps!" Yang happily shouted as she ran on the treadmill next to Weiss'.

Weiss herself was cursing Yang on the inside. After Yang had dragged them all to the gym, Ruby and Blake ran off to the child's section with Amber, while Yang dragged Weiss off to train with her. It started out light. A few push-ups, a few sit-ups. Weiss didn't think it was that bad. Then Yang sat her on the bike and forced her to peddle _100 km!_ And if that wasn't bad enough, now she was running the last of 100 laps. To say she was exhausted would be a _vast_ understatement.

Once she had finished her final lap, she practically collapsed, only to fall into muscular arms. The smell of sweat filled her nose as she looked up at shining lilac eyes.

"There! Isn't that better?"

"I hate you, Xiao Long. I hate you so much."

"Okay, let's take a break!" Yang said as she sat Weiss down.

As Weiss sat there, dealing with her burning muscles, Ruby, Blake and Amber walked up.

"Amber is tired, so we're gonna leave now, okay?" Blake said.

Before Weiss could speak up, Yang replied. "Yeah, go ahead. I'll take the princess out for drinks later."

"Okay, bye."

As Weiss watched them leave, she wondered what she had done to be punished so severely.

 **(**)**

And so here she was, sitting in a bar, sipping her wine while watching Yang down her third whiskey.

"Ahh, that's the stuff!" Yang exclaimed as she wiped her mouth. Her eyes then focused on Weiss' wine glass. "You're still nippin' at that?"

"I am not like you, Yang. I do not down my drink as if was the first liquid I'd had in weeks. I drink with dignity."

" _Oh, look at me. My name is Weiss. I drink with dignity._ " Yang imitated Weiss as she scowled at her. "Don't give me that look. That's what you sound like. That's your problem. You're always so uptight. You gotta let yourself go. There's no class in drinking. It's all about putting as much alcohol in your body as you can until you throw it up again."

"Charming."

"Exactly. You need to relax. You need...I know what you need!" She exclaimed as she turned to a waitress and ordered something.

A few minutes later, the waitress returned with two mugs of beer and two shot glasses filled with a dark liquid. Yang thanked the waitress as she dunked the contents of the glasses into the mugs and pushed one towards Weiss. "Drink!"

Weiss looked at the drink for a long moment. "No."

"Oh? What's wrong? Scared?"

"Excuse me?"

"You afraid of admitting that you _can't_ drink it?"

A vein started popping on Weiss' head. "Watch it!"

"Come on, the Weiss I know would never let some blonde bimbo humiliate her like this. She would take the glass and show the bimbo that she's a world-class drinker."

A slight smirk appeared on Weiss' face. She had to admit, Yang really knew what buttons to press. She grabbed the mug and started drinking, noticing from the corner of her eye that Yang was doing the same.

Once she finished the drink, she slammed the mug onto the table and wiped her mouth. A second later, Yang did the same.

"Ye-he-hes!" She exclaimed. "Now we're getting' somewhere!" She looked Weiss straight in the eye. "Another?"

Weiss looked down at the mug for a moment. "I probably shouldn't." She then looked back at Yang and flashed her a devious grin. "So I will."

"Atta girl!" Yang grinned. "Waitress! Another!"

 **(**)**

Weiss woke up to a pounding head-ache, like someone was jack-hammering next to a herd of elephants inside her head. _I'm never drinking with Yang again._ It was then that she noticed a different kind of pounding. This was a soft, rhythmic pounding that actually felt soothing. She also noticed that she was lying on something that was decidedly _not_ her pillow. And that that something had its arms wrapped around her and was pulling her closer.

Confused and curious, Weiss decided to slowly force her eyes open, only to be met with bare skin. After a moment, she looked up and saw Yang's face, sleeping peacefully.

 _What?_


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

 **Author's Note: I know this is a little late, but I guess it's better to say it now than just surprise you guys with it later. As you've already noticed, this isn't a pure BlackRose story. I actually plan on featuring every couple I ship. So, aside from BlackRose and WhiteGold, there will be Arkos, LieAndSteal, BunnyDoll, ChocolateThunder, Glynder and ChocolateChipMint. At least that's the plan.**

So there Weiss was. In bed, with Yang, both of them very naked. As Weiss realized this, the events of the past night came rushing back to her.

After having gotten royally hammered at the bar, Yang decided she wanted to do some parkour. Because that's what she usually did when she got drunk. Once they had gotten to the park, Yang immediately started jumping all over the place while Weiss watched.

At some point, Yang fell to the ground and Weiss ran, or rather stumbled, over to her to see if she was okay. Only to have Yang wrap her arms around her and have them both rolling around in the grass. And then, for some reason, they started making out. After a few sloppy, drunk kisses Yang started fumbling around with Weiss' pants, but Weiss stopped her. Even drunk, Weiss knew it would inappropriate to do such things in a public park.

So they went to Yang's apartment. The second the door closed behind them, they attacked each other.

It was...interesting. Weiss had never known that kind of passion. Yang...touched her with a ferocity she had never experienced before. A single touch sent shivers down her spine and made her long for more. And that's not even mentioning what Weiss did to Yang. Weiss had to admit it. Yang was extremely sexy. From her natural curves to her trained muscles, the blonde had the body of a goddess. And Weiss made damn sure to familiarize herself with every bit of it.

Just thinking about it made Weiss' face turn red. She then decided she wanted to forget last night ever happened. She needed to get back home, to her son.

So, she slipped out of Yang's bed, gathered up her clothes and snuck out of the apartment.

 **(**)**

A few quick knocks on the door let Weiss know that Yang had arrived. She expected as much. The blonde had probably come over to tease her about last night. She gave a quick look to her son, who was quietly sitting on the couch watching TV, and walked over to the door.

"Hey, babe," Yang greeted her as she opened the door.

"Don't ever call me that!"

"Aww, what's the matter, sweetie? You still hungover?"

Weiss closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Please, stop. I really don't like these pet names."

"Really? You seemed to love them last night."

Weiss shot Yang a glare. "Last night was a _mistake_ ," she said coldly. "I was drunk and I guess I was looking for some human comfort. I certainly did not mean to do...those things with you and I don't want you getting the wrong idea. What happened last night was an accident and it won't happen again. So let's just move on and pretend like it never happened, okay? I'll see you later." With that, she closed the door.

Yang stood there, still smiling. "Sorry, princess," she said. "I'm not giving up that easily."

 **(**)**

"What do you mean, you can't come?" Weiss nearly screeched into her phone.

" _Sorry, Weiss,"_ Ruby apologized. _"Amber came down with a sudden cold, I can't just leave her."_

"Why not? She's got her mother."

" _Yeah, but still..."_

"RUBY!"

" _Calm down! I sent a replacement."_

"A repla-" Before she could finish, there was a knock at the door.

" _Gotta go. Bye!"_ Before Weiss could respond, Ruby hung up. Incredibly irritated, she walked over to the door and opened it.

Her irritation only grew when she saw Yang standing there, her stupid plastered on her face.

"Of all people, she had to send you."

"Aww, cheer up, princess. I'm just here to take Hans to his daddy while you work."

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fine." She then turned around and walked over to Hans, who was kneeling in front of the table and drawing into a colouring book. "Alright, Hans, time to leave." After looking at her for a second, Hans got up and let Weiss take him in her arms to give him a goodbye kiss.

"Bye, mommy," he said in his quiet, polite tone.

"Goodbye, sweetheart. I'll see you tonight." With that, she put him down and turned to Yang. "Yang, listen. I...know I wasn't exactly nice to you last time we spoke. But, now that Neptune is living together with Sun they've gone back into "high school bros" mode. And leaving Hans with them leaves me...uneasy."

"Enough said. I'll stay there and make sure the idiots don't mess up the little prince," Yang

replied as she turned to Hans. "Come on, little man. We're goin' to see daddy." With that, she took Hans' hand and led him out.

Weiss quietly watched as they left. _If I didn't have to go to this meeting. God, watch over my son._

 **(**)**

There were two loud knocks on the door, but before Sun could open, a familiar voice spoke up from the other side. "Knock, knock!"

Sun facepalmed. After a few moments, he replied. "Who's there?"

"Dishes."

"Dishes who?"

"Dishes a very bad joke."

Sun sighed and opened the door. There was Yang, standing hand in hand with Hans, looking very pleased with herself.

"Of all people, she had to send you."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?"

"You know the answer," Sun said as gestured her to enter.

As she and Hans walked into the apartment, Neptune walked up and took Hans into his arms. "Hans! I missed you so much! Did you miss me, too?"

"Yes, daddy," Hans replied as he hugged his father back.

"Nice place you guys got here," Yang said as she looked around. "It's...smaller than you're old place. Cozy."

"Definitely smaller," Neptune replied as he put his son down. "Thanks for bringing it up."

"So, you guys found a job to pay for it? Are you gonna use Hans to mooch off the Schnee fortune?"

"How dare you?!"

Sun stepped in and calmed Neptune down. "Ren hired us as baristas in his café. So we're set."

"That's good. How about when you guys are off? How do you decide what to do in your spare time?"

"Yang, please..."

"Do you _planet_?"

The silence that followed was almost painful and was thankfully broken by Hans.

"Boo." This, on the other hand, had the two men roaring with laughter.

"Good boy, Hans," Neptune said as he ruffled his son's hair. "That joke wasn't funny the first time she told it."

"Everyone's a critic."

After that, Neptune walked off to play with his son and, after a few moments of silence, Sun approached Yang.

"So, um, h-how is Amber? And...Blake?"

Yang cocked an eyebrow. "Amber's come down with a cold. That's why Ruby sent me to drive Hans. Otherwise, they're fine."

"Oh, good. I'm just asking because...you know...Ruby."

"What about her?"

"I just thought it would be kind of awkward for my ex-wife to live with a woman who's been secretly in love with her for years. I just figured it would lead to uncomfortable situations."

Yang blinked. "No, they're fine. Better than fine actually. Now that you guys are divorced and they're living together, they no longer have to bang behind you're back."

Sun's eyes went wide and all colour vanished from his face. "What?!"

After a moment of silence, Yang barked out a laugh. "I'm just messin' with ya."

Sun clutched his chest and let out a sigh. "Oh, god. Seriously, Yang, not funny. Seriously, you don't just tell a guy that his wife was cheating on him."

"Ex-wife."

"Whatever! Not cool!"

"Okay, sorry." She turned to Neptune and Hans and then back to Sun. "Hey, do you mind taking Hans for a moment. I need to talk to Neptune."

"Oh! Uh, sure. I guess." He then walked over to Neptune and, after exchanging a few words with him, sat down next to Hans while Neptune walked over to Yang.

"What's up?"

"Hey, listen. When you started dating Weiss, how did you...? I mean, what did you...?"

Neptune gave her a confused look. "Yes?"

Yang cleared her throat. "I guess what I'm asking is: How did you get her to settle for you?"

Neptune's eyes widened slightly in realization. "Oh! I, uhh...I don't know. I guess I just...was myself. I decided that, if I was gonna be serious with her, I might as well show her the real me. You know?"

Yang nodded. "I think I do. Thanks."

"No problem. Why did you ask?"

Yang looked away. "Because I fell in love recently."

"Oh! Well then, good for you. I hope it works out well."

Yang smiled at him. "Thank you, Neptune. Seriously."

"Hey, don't thank me, yet. Remember, I got divorced."

Yang chuckled. "Don't worry. I'm sure it'll work out."


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY.**

It all started a few weeks ago. At first, Yang only came over occasionally to babysit Hans. Then she'd start buying groceries, cooking and cleaning. Weiss was a little surprised, but welcomed any help. Between her work and her son, she could certainly use it. She could've just hired a maid, but she never did like the idea of someone serving her.

She only started to realize something was off when she realized Yang was no longer teasing her or flirting with her. That's when she realized another thing.

Yang rarely went home.

Once she got off work, Yang would spend the rest of the day tending to Weiss' apartment and taking care of Hans. At night, she would be so exhausted that she would pass out on the couch.

Weiss couldn't believe it took her this long to realize this, but Yang was living with her.

That's why, once they'd put Hans to bed, Weiss sat Yang on the couch.

Weiss had been born to a wealthy family and had spent years training proper mannerisms and how to negotiate. She knew that a measured and diplomatic would often get her what she wanted.

"What's your game, Xiao Long?" She chose a different route with Yang.

"Excuse me?"

"You know what I'm talking about. What are you planning?"

Yang blinked at Weiss in confusion. "Well, I was planning on making steak and mashed potatoes tomorrow, as that's Hans' favourite. Along with a side of steamed vegetables. Primarily peas and carrots."

"He hates carrots."

"He has to eat his veggies."

"See?! That's what I'm talking about! The Yang I know would rather give Hans a doughnut than force him to eat something he doesn't like!"

"Sounds like the Yang you know is an idiot."

Weiss couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Are you serious? What is going on? We sleep together once and all of a sudden you're my wife? What's the point?"

"What do you mean, what's the point? Can't I just help out a friend?"

"Not if it means living here! You spend your evenings eating dinner with me and Hans and watching TV on our couch, when just a few weeks ago you would go out to bars and then go home with whatever girl was drunk enough or pathetic enough to sleep with you!" That statement was followed by tense silence in which the two just stared at each other. "See? Right now, you _should_ be making a joke about which one I was. What is wrong with you?"

Yang continued to stare at Weiss for a few moments, remaining calm as she spoke. "Maybe I'm not as immature as you may think."

Weiss frowned as she looked down. "But...that's always been you. You were always the one who was drunk before anyone else even got a drink. The one who would always start making out with complete strangers. The one who would never let fears about what others thought of her get in the way of a fun night. I guess, in a way, I always admired that about you."

Yang's eyes widened at the statement, but quickly closed as she let her head sink and a sad chuckle escaped her lips. "Admired it? Well, let me tell you, Weiss, those 'fun nights' were often followed by a lot of hollow mornings. And sure, I've slept with a few hotties, but every time I did, I would usually want them out of my bed as soon as possible. But...when I woke up next to you." She looked up into Weiss' eyes. "I wished you'd never leave."

The sheer honesty in Yang's voice and eyes caused Weiss to inhale sharply. "Yang...I..."

"Weiss..." Yang interrupted as she took Weiss' hand into her own. "You are an amazing woman. You're beautiful and strong and smart. And you're such a caring mother. And I...I'm just a lowly mechanic who wasted most of her youth partying. But when I'm with you, I feel like I could do better. Be better. And god knows I could do better for Hans. He...hasn't exactly seen the best of me. But I wanna try. I wanna try to be someone who can take care off him. Someone who could be seen as responsible and mature. Someone who..." She gulped. "Someone you'd be proud to be with."

"Yang..."

"But, if you decide that what happened between us was just a fluke and you really are straight, or you just don't want to be with me, I understand," Yang said as she flashed Weiss a fake, before looking down. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I should go home for once. I've bothered you and Hans enough."

But as she made to get up, a firm hand on her shoulder pressed her back down. Yang stared at the hand in confusion before turning to Weiss, who was...smiling?

"You're more mature than you give yourself credit for," she said. "After all, you were practically a second mother to Ruby. I recall so many times when you would immediately toss any plans out the window to take care of her. You always took time for her. For all of us. You're kind and loving and you always make me laugh."

At that, Yang quirked an eyebrow.

"On the inside," Weiss shrugged. "You are a wonderful person Yang. We've been friends for so long, and you're really good with Hans. And..." She removed the hand from Yang's shoulder and propped herself up on her legs. "If you were to ask me out, I guess I wouldn't be completely against it."

Yang just stared at her dumbfounded. _Did she just...?_ A wide smile appeared on her face as tears formed in her eyes. Leaping forward, she enveloped Weiss in a bone-crushing hug, eliciting a yelp from white-haired woman.

"Hey, hands off! You have to at least buy me dinner first before we go any further!"

" _Buy_ you dinner?" Yang yelled as she pulled back. "Are you mad? I'm gonna _make_ you dinner! And then I'm gonna take you to a movie! Or would you prefer theater? I'll think of something! Don't worry, Weiss! I'm gonna give you the best first date ever!" With that declaration, Yang rushed out of the apartment.

Weiss just shook her head. _What did I just agree to?_ The mere thought of what Yang had in store for her filled her with as much dread as it did excitement.

 _Guess I'll just have to wait and see._ A slight grin appeared on her face as she got up and went to bed.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY.**

"Hey, sis!" Yang bellowed as Ruby opened the door to her apartment.

Ruby smiled at Yang's enthusiastic greeting. "Hey, Yang. What's up?"

Yang just beamed at her for a moment before answering. "I...have a date...with Weiss."

Ruby's eyes went wide as her jaw dropped and she was rendered speechless.

"I know, right?! But listen, I need your help," Yang said as she walked in.

"With what?" Ruby finally asked as she closed the door and followed.

Yang just stood in the living room and waited for Ruby to catch up with her. "So, you know how I've never had an actual, serious relationship?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah. So, I've never been on a first date before. I mean, I've been on dates, but they weren't anything spectacular, you know?"

"Right."

"And I sorta promised Weiss I'd give her the best first date she's ever had."

"Well, that shouldn't be too hard. The only first date she's ever had was with Neptune. And that was our prom. Remember?"

"Ha! Yeah. Poor guy couldn't dance to save his life. But still, I don't want our first date to just be better than that, I want it to completely blow her mind. To make her fall in love with me and wanna marry me on the spot!"

"What?!" Ruby's facial expression turned into one of utter shock. "Marry you?! Are you serious?!"

Yang started to blush as she nervously scratched her arm. "Well, we probably wouldn't get married right away, but...I could definitely see myself settling down with her and becoming a second mother to Hans."

"Yang, I had no idea you..."

"Which is why I want to make this a night to remember. So what should I do?"

Ruby inhaled deeply and put her serious planning face on. "Okay, so, you have something planned?"

"I was gonna start out with making her dinner."

"Good idea, sis. Your home-cooked meal is definitely a good start. Now then, you're gonna want to go to a movie next. And, as Weiss' BFF, I know what her favourite type of movie is."

"I always thought she liked documentaries or, I don't know, deep, thought-provoking films."

Ruby let out a chuckle as she shook her head. "Oh, how very wrong you are," she said as she looked into Yang's eyes. "She likes cheesy comedies."

This time, Yang's jaw dropped. "You're kidding."

"Nope. You see, growing up a Schnee, you don't exactly get to have a lot of fun. One of the few things she remembers doing for fun in her childhood is watching cheap sitcoms with her sister. Ever since, she's had a love for lame comedy."

"Huh, I never would have thought..."

"And there just so happens to be the perfect movie for her right now."

"Excellent. What's next?"

"Dessert. After dinner and a movie, she's probably gonna want a cup of coffee. I know a great café in town. As for what you could afterwards..." Ruby started to sink into deep thought.

"I know." Ruby looked up at her. "I know exactly how I'm gonna finish this date." Yang declared as she turned around and made for the door. "Thanks, sis!" She yelled back at Ruby as she left the apartment.

 **(**)**

The stars were beautiful this night. Weiss noticed this as she looked out of Yang's car. The night had already been pretty nice so far. It started with Yang fixing them an incredible meal. Some eastern dish was unfamiliar with. It was delicious.

Afterwards, they went to the movies and watched a comedy Weiss had had her eye on for a while. It wasn't anything grand, but she certainly enjoyed it.

After the movie, they went to this wonderful little café for coffee and cake.

Needless to say, Weiss was thoroughly satisfied by the time they started driving out of town.

"So, are you going to tell me where we're going yet?"

"You'll see," Yang replied with a smile. "Trust me, you'll love it."

Weiss just shook her head and continued to look out the window. As they drove on, she started to realize where they were going and a smile crept onto her face.

After a while, Yang stopped and they got out. Before them was a large hill, a gentle glow shining from beyond it.

"You go on ahead," Yang said. "I'll be right behind you."

Weiss nodded and slowly ascended the hill. As she reached the top, she could see the city in the distance, looking a beautiful photograph, and the starlit night sky stretching out above her.

She could here Yang approaching from behind. "How long has it been since we last came here?" Weiss asked.

"Oof, we haven't been out here since before that whole unpleasantness between Ruby and Blake started."

Weiss nodded sadly. Back during their highschool days, they would come out here often to stargaze. Those were wonderful nights, filled with beauty and happiness.

Weiss was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard soft jazz music playing behind her. She turned around and saw Yang had placed a small portable radio on the ground and was now walking towards her.

Slightly bowing, she reached out to Weiss. "My lady."

Weiss' lips twitched upwards as she took Yang's hand and let her pull her into an embrace. As they danced, Weiss placed her head onto Yang's shoulder and closed her eyes.

"I must admit, Yang. You've impressed me."

"Please, don't try to sound so shocked."

Weiss giggled. "I'm serious. When you said you were gonna give me the best first date ever, I thought that was just exaggeration. But...this night was perfect."

A moment of silence. "I'm glad you liked it, Weiss. Only the best for my princess."

Weiss pulled her head back to look Yang in the eyes and placed a hand on her cheek. "I'll hold you to that," she said as she pressed her lips against Yang's.

Yang immediately returned the kiss, pulling Weiss closer.

They held each other tightly as they kissed beneath the stars.

 **(**)**

The first thing Weiss noticed as she woke up was the warm embrace engulfing her. Slowly opening her eyes, all she could see was tanned skin. Looking up, she saw Yang.

Snoring peacefully, the blonde smiled as she pulled Weiss closer.

Weiss enjoyed the feeling of their naked bodies pressed together. It was warm and comforting. She hugged Yang tightly and nestled her face into her neck.

This felt right.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

"What's wrong, sis?" Yang asked her sister, who was currently sitting opposite to her and Weiss. They were currently sitting in Ren's café, with Yang having her arm around Weiss' shoulders and Ruby glaring at them. "I thought you would be happy for us."

"I'm having some mixed feelings about this."

Yang removed her arm from Weiss and leaned forward to grab Ruby's hand. "Please, Ruby, don't be upset."

"How can I not be upset? Why is it that Weiss is suddenly gay, but Blake remains straight? I feel like I'm being taunted right now."

"Don't think too much about it, sis," Yang said as she leaned back, a cocky grin replacing the worried expression she had before. "I can turn any woman gay."

"Then how about you work your magic on Blake."

Yang's lips twitched downward again. "You're really not over her, yet?"

"No, I'm not."

"Give it time," Weiss pitched in. "You'll get there. Though, it would probably go faster if you didn't live together."

"Well, it's not like I can just throw them out. Blake still needs to find a job. I offered her a position at the office, but she refuses to work for the Schnees. No offense, Weiss."

"None taken."

"Where is our coffee?" Yang spoke up. "How long does it take to brew some beans?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Neptune said as he walked up to there table, a tray with the beverages in question in hand. "I figured you'd be too busy sucking face with my ex-wife to even notice," he spat at Yang as he placed the beverages on the table.

"Neptune, please, there's no need for that kind of immaturity," Weiss replied. "We got divorced, so I have the right to date whoever I please."

Neptune's expression softened. "Of course, you're right. I'm sorry. Perhaps, things will get better once we're gone."

"Gone?" Weiss asked. "Where are you going?"

"You don't know?" A look of surprise appeared on Neptune's face as turned to Sun, who was across the room, behind the counter. "Sun! You didn't tell Blake?" The blonde faunus froze for a moment before shaking his head and looking down in shame. Neptune sighed as he, too, shook his head and turned back to the women in front of him. "Sun recently started dating someone recently."

"Oh, that's nice," Ruby replied. "Who is she?"

"A nice faunus girl. She actually lives down south and only came here for a few months. Her father owns a small business and she recently got us both a job there."

"Really?" Ruby asked, a little surprised. "Does he know about...Sun?"

Neptune nodded. "He knows everything. He said he understands how hard it can be for a faunus to get and hold a job and that he's willing to give us a chance if his daughter is."

"So you're moving south?" Weiss asked. "When?"

"...Next week."

"What?!" Weiss yelled, making everyone around her cringe. "And you didn't tell me?! What, were you just gonna leave without saying goodbye to your son?"

"No! Of course not! It just all came together so suddenly, I've been working a lot lately and every time I called or visited, Yang was the one who answered. I just wanted to tell you in person. Then I figured that Sun told Blake, who would have subsequently told you."

"So, why didn't he?" Yang asked.

Neptune looked back at Sun. "Sun has been...going through a rough time since the divorce. To be honest, he fell into a bit of a depression. So, when he met Anne, oh, that's his girlfriend's name, by the way, things started to look up. I guess he just wants to move on already."

"So, what? He just wants to move away and pretend he doesn't have a family?" Ruby asked, anger starting to build up in her. "That he doesn't have a daughter who loves him?"

Neptune looked down. "You know he's been through this past year. It was a nightmare. He just wants to leave all of that behind and start anew. Honestly, I can't blame him."

"Still doesn't make it right."

"I know. But that's how things are. I'm sorry for dropping on you guys. I thought you knew."

"Neptune! Stop chatting and get back to work."

"Gah. Yes, sir. See ya, guys." With that, Neptune scrambled off.

The three women sat silent for a while, before Yang spoke up. "How do you think Blake will react?"

"Blake's a big girl," Weiss replied. "I'm sure she'll be fine."

 **(**)**

"THE SELFISH PRICK!" Blake half-yelled, half-slurred as she slammed her whiskey glass on the bar-counter. After her friends told her what Sun and Neptune were planning, she immediately stormed off to demand an explanation, but all he had to offer was a halfhearted apology. "Didn't wanna make things awkward for me and Amber? My ass! The coward just didn't wanna talk to me! Thought he could just steal himself away without as much as a goodbye? The man will never change!" She looked down at her empty glass, then at the bartender. "Another!"

The man's brown mustache twitched as he gave her a worried look. "Are you sure that's..." He paused as Blake shot him a glare, then took the glass and refilled it.

Blake took the glass from him and immediately downed the contents. "We were together for a long time. We dated, got married, had a daughter. I...I hurt someone very dear to me because of him. And yes, he is divorced, so he can do whatever he damn well pleases, but damn it, I...Do I really not mean anything to him anymore? And Amber? Was he really gonna just leave without at least saying goodbye to _her_?" There was a moment of somber silence before she slammed the glass on the counter. "To hell with him! I don't care about him or Neptune or this faunus girl Sun started dating! So he can go ahead and move away, work at this fancy job he got and marry this oh so lovely girl while I...while I..."

Blake fell silent for a moment before slowly reaching to her pocket and taking out a few bills. "Here," she said as she placed the bills on the counter and got up. "I should get back home." With that, she left.

 **(**)**

 _Stupid keys._ Blake thought as she tried to get the keys into the lock. Suddenly, the door opened on it's own. Stunned, Blake looked up to see Ruby. "Oh, hey Ruby."

"Oh god, Blake. You smell like a brew house. How much did you drink?"

"Oh, not much. Maybe I had a whiskey or two."

Ruby just gave her a look, then pulled her in before closing the door. "You had me worried, you know?" Ruby said as she led Blake into the living room. "You were gone a long time."

"Oh, well. That just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside."

Ruby just shook her. "You should go to bed, Blake. Maybe then you'll feel better."

Suddenly, Blake stopped and turned around. She gave Ruby a curious look before looking at the couch.

Suddenly, she grabbed Ruby and threw her onto the couch. Before Ruby could react, she crawled on top of her and pinned down her arms. "Blake, what are you..."

She was suddenly cut off by Blake pressing her lips against Ruby's. The bitter taste of alcohol entered Ruby's mouth as she squirmed beneath Blake.

After a few moments, she managed to wiggle one of her hands free, pushed Blake back and smacked her across the face.

Blake was stunned. She slowly raised her hand up to her cheek and gently rubbed the burning sensation. She looked at Ruby, who was shaking with anger.

"What...the hell...do you think...you're doing?!"

Blake gave her a curious look. "Isn't this what you wanted?" She finally asked.

Ruby shot open wide. "What I wanted?!" She yelled so loud, Blake had to cover her cat ears. "No, Blake! This is not what I wanted! This is certainly not what I wanted, you dumb drunk!" She then pointed at the bedroom door. "Go to bed! NOW!"

Blake clumsily got up went into the bedroom, where she let herself fall into the bed and immediately fell asleep.

 **(**)**

Her head felt like it was about to explode. Once she woke up, Blake sat up with a groan, clutching her head. _How much did I drink last night?_ As she asked herself that question, the events of last night came back to her. Groaning again, she let herself fall back against the wall. _I really did it this time, didn't I?_

"Mommy?" She looked down to see Amber kneeling next to her. "You smell bad."

Blake's lips twitched upwards. "I know, sweety."

"Why did Aunt Ruby yell at you?" Blake inhaled deeply. _Of course, she heard. My poor, sweet baby. Why must you have such a light sleep?_

"Mommy did something very bad last night, sweety," Blake said as she took Amber into her arms. "Something very, very bad."

"Are you gonna divorce? Like you did daddy?"

Blake smiled. "What do you think that word means, honey?"

A pause. Amber was thinking. "That two people who like each other no longer want to be together."

Blake chuckled. "That's right. To answer your question, I don't know. What I did...It's hard to see Ruby simply forgiving it. But I guess I'll have to go talk to her." With that, she let go of Amber and got up. "See you in a bit."

"Bye, mommy."

With that, Blake left the bedroom. As she did, she noticed the smell of coffee, bacon and eggs. She immediately walked into the kitchen and saw Ruby, preparing breakfast. She froze and just stood there, trying to muster up the courage to speak up.

"I know you're there." Blake jumped slightly when Ruby spoke up and turned to her. "You're not that subtle when you're hungover."

Blake frowned. Ruby then walked over to the coffee machine and poured some into a mug before handing it to Blake. "Drink!" Blake did. The black coffee tasted incredibly bitter, but it lightened her headache and helped her think a bit more clearly.

As she drank, Ruby fixed a plate with eggs and bacon and placed it on the small kitchen table, along with a fork. She then pulled back the chair. "Sit!" Blake obeyed. Ruby sat down opposite to her and picked up the fork. "Eat!"

Blake put down her mug, took the fork and started to eat. She knew Ruby was watching. She knew they would start talking as soon as she was done.

Sure enough, as soon as Blake had finished... "Talk!"

Blake looked up at Ruby, silver eyes seemingly piercing her soul. "After you told me about Sun I went over to get an explanation. Long story short, I didn't like his answer and went to a bar. I drank...quite a lot before I decided to go back home." She paused and breathed deeply. "What I did, I didn't simply do because I was angry at Sun. I did it because I was mad at myself." Ruby quirked an eyebrow. "Of course, I'm angry at Sun. What he was trying to do was horrible. But, in a way, I also understand. He's moving on. A new girlfriend, a new job, a new life. And what am I doing? I'm leeching off a friend while I'm getting rejected from jobs left and right. I can't get a job. I can't support my daughter. I can't do anything. These were feelings that had been building up for some time now. All I wanted was some relief. And last night, drunk as I was, I thought I had found it." Ruby didn't move. Didn't give any indication of a reaction. She just sat there and listened. "I'm sorry, Ruby. I'm so sorry. I'm a horrible friend."

"No. You're just going through a tough time and can't hold your liquor very well."

Blake blinked.

Ruby leaned forward and took her hand. "Blake, what you did last night, it hurt me. I couldn't fall asleep for hours. I lay on the couch, thinking about what you did. But, in the end, I decided you were still my friend and that you deserve to explain yourself. And now that you have, let's just say I'm not as angry anymore. I don't want to lose you, Blake." Ruby smiled at her. "You mean too much to me."

Tears started to form in Blake's eyes as she hugged Ruby. "I'm so glad. And I promise, I'll do this again." They sat there for a few moments, holding each other. "Although."

Ruby turned to Blake, who pulled back and cupped her face. Looking deep into Ruby's eyes, Blake pulled her in for a kiss, eliciting a surprised yelp from Ruby. Before Ruby could react in any other way, Blake pulled back.

"Sorry," Blake smiled. "Just didn't seem right for that drunken mistake to be the only kiss between the two of us."

Ruby blinked a few times before she started giggling. The lighthearted sound made Blake's smile widen and her eyes shine with joy.

"You're such a tease, Blake."


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY.**

Blake was currently sitting in a coffee shop, sighing into her coffee.

"Why so down?" Blake jumped and turned to see Coco standing next to her.

"Oh, hey, Coco," Blake replied awkwardly. "It's...nothing."

"Well, that's a lie," Coco said as she sat down across from Blake. "What's wrong?"

Blake took a moment, before she sighed. "I just...I can't get a job."

When she didn't continue, Coco quirked an eyebrow. "And?"

"It's just...Why? Why can't I get a job? I send application after application, but I keep getting rejected. What's going on?"

"Maybe you're applying to the wrong jobs? Or the wrong people? Job hunting can be tough. A lot of things need to be considered." But as she said that, a thought popped up in her mind. "Hey, I just remembered." Blake looked up at her. "I have this friend who owns a bookshop and she's looking to hire someone." Blake obviously perked up at the statement. "I could introduce you."

Blake beamed. "Really? Yes! Yes, thank you!" She practically leaped forward to hug Coco.

"Whoa, calm down, Blake! Calm down! This doesn't automatically mean you'll get the job."

"I know, but at least it's something."

Coco smiled. "Alright, here's the plan. First, we go shopping."

Blake deadpanned. "Excuse me?"

"Well, we need to get you a proper outfit for your interview." Blake nodded. "Then, we'll head back to your place to grab your resume. Then we'll head to the bookstore. Got it?"

Blake gave her a determined nod.

 **(**)**

"Aunt Ruby, I'm bored!" Amber whined.

Ruby, who was sitting across from her at her desk, sighed. "So am I. But, well, that's work for ya."

Amber squirmed in her seat. "What are you doing?"

"Paperwork. Lots and lots of paperwork."

"Is that fun?"

"It's not. Believe me, it's not."

"Then, why do you do it?"

"Because, if I don't, my boss will get very angry with me."

"Ruby!"

"Ah, speak of the devil." Ruby got up from her desk and stepped out of her office to see Weiss stomping towards her. "Yes, Weiss. What is it now?"

"You forgot to stamp our contract with the Coal Company."

Ruby blinked, then pinched the bridge of her nose. "That's what you're so worked up about? A stamp? You could have done that yourself, at your desk. Instead, you chose to come down here to yell at me?"

"It's about the principal of the matter. I can't just let you slip up like this."

"You know, you would think you'd go a little lighter on me, considering you're sleeping with my sister."

Weiss' face immediately turned red, though from embarrassment or anger, Ruby couldn't tell. "That's not relevant, right now!" Weiss yelled as she pushed the contract into Ruby's hand. "Just stamp it and give it back to me."

Ruby just shook her head as she returned to her desk. She sat down, pulled out her stamp and slammed it onto the contract. Done. She looked up from her desk as she made to get up, only to freeze in the motion. Amber's chair was empty. She looked all around her office and under her desk. No Amber.

 _Oh no._

 **(**)**

Once aunt Weiss started yelling at Ruby, Amber decided to have a look around. She quietly got up and slipped past the two arguing women.

The hall she walked down wasn't any more interesting than Ruby's office. Blank walls, few pictures. A few people were standing or walking around, but they either didn't notice her or gave her strange looks.

Amber sighed. This was far more boring than she had thought. Suddenly, she walked into something. She took a step and realized she hadn't walked into some _thing_ , but some _one_.

The woman had ginger hair with a pink tied to the back of her head. Green eyes stared down at Amber in curiosity as a smile appeared on the woman's face. "Salutations!"

 _What?_

"I'm Penny," the woman said as she turned to Amber and reached out with her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Amber stared at the hand a few moments before slowly taking it. "I'm Amber."

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

Amber's kitty ears twitched in confusion. "Didn't you already say that?"

The smile vanished as Penny stared off into the distance. "So I did," she said as she smiled at Amber again.

This woman thoroughly confused Amber.

Penny then started to look around. "Are you alone?" She looked back down at Amber. "Where's your mommy?"

"She's not here. I came here with aunt..."

"Amber!" Both of them turned to the source of the voice to see Ruby running towards them. The woman quickly reached them, knelt down and hugged Amber. "Oh, sweetheart, thank god you're okay. I was so worried." She then pulled back and looked at Amber sternly. "You can't just walk off on your own like that! What if you got hurt?"

"I'm sorry," Amber replied as she looked down in regret.

Ruby then turned to Penny and her eyes widened. "Penny?!"

"Hi, Ruby." Penny waved. "So, she's with you? Who is she?" Penny gasped. "Is she your daughter?"

"No, no, Penny," Ruby replied as she got up. "This is Amber. Blake's daughter."

"Ohh, you mean the faunus woman you're desperately in love with."

"Aghad ahahaha, I'm not desperately in love with her," Ruby replied before muttering under breath, "anymore."

"So, where is she?"

"I don't know. Amber wanted to spend the day with me, so I brought her here while Blake stayed at home."

"I see."

Ruby then turned to Amber. "Amber, this is Penny. She's a good friend of mine."

Amber smiled at Penny. If she was a friend of Ruby, she had to be a good person.

"Thank you, for finding her, Penny. I owe you one."

"Don't worry about it, Ruby."

"I'll treat you to dinner, sometime. Right now, we have to get back to my office. See you later?"

"Of course."

They waved each other goodbye as Penny walked off.

Ruby then extended her hand to Amber and she took it as Ruby started leading her back to her office.

 **(**)**

"Alright, I have no more questions," the woman said as she reached out her hand. "Thank you for coming, Miss Wukong. I'll contact you soon to let you know my decision."

Blake took her hand and smiled. "Thank you for meeting with me, Miss Scarlatina."

"Please," the brunette rabbit faunus returned the smile, brown eyes shining with warmth. "Call me Velvet."


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

Blake was humming a happy tune to herself as she sorted through the bookshelf. It was midday in the middle of the week, so the store wasn't very full right now.

Blake loved working here. She had always loved books and Velvet was a great boss. She had to be sure to thank Coco again for setting them up.

The jingle of the door opening turned her attention to the entrance. _Speak of the devil._

Coco entered the store and made for the main desk, where Velvet was currently sitting. "Hey, Coco," Velvet greeted her. "How are you? How are the wedding preparations?"

"Don't remind me. I've a million things going on and I have no idea how to keep track of it all."

"Isn't Nora helping you?"

"To an extent. She helped pick out the cake, the band, the flowers. Then there were the dresses. That was a catastrophe. I love the woman, but she has a bizarre taste in clothing."

Velvet smiled and shook her head. "Anything in particular you came in here for?"

"Right, I need to know what you'll be eating. I'm calling the caterer and I need to know everyone's menu by then. What will you be having?"

"The vegetarian menu."

"Of course. And you, Blake?"

"Fish. The same for Amber. Ruby is still indecisive."

"I'm heading over to the SDC anyway, I can ask her directly. Thanks guys." With that, she left and Velvet and Blake returned to work.

Blake then looked at her watch. "Hey, Velvet, can I take my break now?"

"Of course, Blake. I'll shout if I need anything."

"Okay, see you in a bit."

Velvet nodded as Blake left. Velvet was fond of Blake. She was polite, smart and a diligent worker. She also respected. Taking care of a child on your own, no matter how much support you get from your friends, is a difficult thing. Velvet was glad she could help Blake by giving her a job. Snapping out of her thoughts, Velvet focused on her work.

Soon afterwards, the door opened again, and Velvet raised her head to see a woman with ginger hair and bright green eyes enter. The weird thing was, the woman didn't look through any of the books. She just walked into the middle of the room and just...stood there.

After a short while, Velvet decided to get up and approach the woman. "Umm, hello?"

"Salutations!" Came the cheerful reply from the other woman.

Velvet jumped slightly at the loud response. "Right, umm, is there something I can help you with?"

"No, I'm good. But thank you for asking," The ginger replied with a bright smile. Velvet found herself returning it. Odd as this woman may be, she was very friendly. "I'm Penny, it's a pleasure to meet you," the woman said as she extended a hand.

Velvet took it. "I'm Velvet."

"Hi, Velvet. How has your day been?"

"Oh, it's been fine. Thank you. And yours?"

"I've had a wonderful day. Thank you for asking."

Velvet nodded as she remembered why she had approached the woman. "Ahem, if I may ask, are you interested in any books?"

The ginger pondered this for a moment. "Hmm, no, thank you."

"I see. Then, please, excuse me if this sound rude, but what are you doing in here then?"

"Oh, a friend asked me to meet here. You see, a friend of hers recently started working here and she wanted to come visit before we go to lunch."

"Oh, I see now! You know Blake?"

Penny shook her head. "I only know what Ruby told me about her. Cat faunus, recently divorced, has a little girl. Oh, and Ruby's madly in love with her." Velvet's eyes widened at how casually Penny just said that. "Oh, wait, she's not in love with her anymore." Then she gasped. "And it's also supposed to be a secret. Oh no, wait, Blake knows about that now. Never mind!"

Velvet blinked a few times. "Right, perhaps we should discuss something else."

"Okay, you have cute ears."

Velvet could feel her cheeks heating up. "Excuse me?"

Penny frowned. "You said you wanted to discuss something else. And your ears are really fluffy and have a nice shine to them."

"I...Thank you, I guess. It's just...my ears are a bit of a sensitive topic for me. I was often bullied because of them."

Penny gasped. "You were? Why?"

Velvet frowned. "Because I'm a faunus. People like bullying us. And my ears are quite big. It makes them easier to pull."

"That's horrible. I can not believe someone would make fun of you because of something so adorable."

"You...you really think my ears are adorable?"

"Of course." Penny flashed another warm smile and Velvet couldn't help but return it. Something about this girl gave her a warm feeling in her chest. "Um, so Penny..."

Before she could continue, the door opened and in stormed another woman. This one had short black hair with red highlights and silver eyes that hurriedly scanned the store before settling on Penny. "Penny! Ohmygosh, I'm so sorry I'm late. Weiss was bugging me again about the paperwork."

"It's alright, Ruby. I had a very nice chat with Velvet."

Ruby peeked around Penny to look at Velvet and her face lit up. "Oh! So you're Velvet! Blake told me about you!" She extended her hand. "I'm Ruby." Velvet smiled as she shook Ruby's hand. "So, where's Blake?" She asked as she looked around.

"She's..."

"Ruby!" Velvet turned to see Blake enter the room. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to finally visit you and see how you're doing here. Besides, me and Penny were going out for lunch and the place was on the way. You wanna come with?"

"Aww, I'd love to, but I already took my lunch break."

Ruby visibly deflated at the statement. "Oh, okay. Let's go, Penny."

Penny nodded before turning to Velvet. "It was nice meeting you, Velvet."

"Likewise, Penny," Velvet smiled back.

As Ruby and Penny left and Blake went back to sorting through the bookshelves, Velvet went back to her desk.

Sitting down, she let out a disappointed sigh as she went back to work.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

Velvet watched the fog emanate from her mouth as she exhaled. It had snowed again and was now the coldest it had been all week. It didn't bother Velvet. She had always been somewhat resilient to the cold. Plus, the thought of the steaming mug of coffee she was about to enjoy helped keep out the cold.

As she approached the coffee shop, she noticed a blur of red rush out the door before running down the street and out of sight.

 _Was that Ruby?_ Velvet wondered before shrugging and proceeding to the coffee shop.

Once inside, she immediately focused on the counter, before spotting a most unexpected sight.

There was Penny, sitting by herself, staring into a mug. And, as if she noticed Velvet's eyes fall upon her, she looked up. Her eyes widened and her face lit up in a wide smile as she spotted Velvet.

Velvet felt a warm sensation spread through her chest as she returned the smile and approached the ginger. "Penny, what are you doing here?"

"Well, I was gonna have tea with Ruby, but then she got a text, yelled about how she forgot something, then ran out."

 _So, that was her._ Velvet couldn't help but notice the slight sadness in Penny's voice. "Would you like me to keep you company then?"

Penny nodded happily. "Very much!"

Velvet smiled warmly at the happy display. "Alright, let me grab a cup of coffee and I'll sit down with you," she said as she walked to the counter.

Once she got her drink, she sat down across from Penny. "So, how have you been?"

"I've been very well. Thank you for asking. How have you been?"

"I've been well. Things at the shop have been going well enough." A thought came to her. "It occurs to me, I never asked what you did for a living. You work with Ruby?"

"No. Not really. We were work for the same company, but Ruby works in marketing and sales, while I'm in research and development."

"Really? What's that like?"

"It's amazing! Every day I develop new and better machines! People say I'm so efficient, I'm practically a machine myself! Which is good! Something that is groundbreaking today, could be obsolete tomorrow, so it's better to always be on top of things!"

Velvet was stunned. Never before had she seen someone be so excited about their job. She liked her work just fine, but this girl absolutely adored her job. "I take it you've always wanted to do something like this?"

"Mhm, my father was an inventor. When I was a little girl, I'd go down to his workshop to watch him work."

"What was he like?"

Penny looked up, as if she were looking for the answer on the ceiling. "He was an artist. He could create technological marvels with the flick of his wrist. I could not imagine being able to create things like that. Not back then. Eventually, I decided I no longer simply wanted to watch." She looked Velvet in the eyes. "What were your parents like?"

"They were...are wonderful people. They used to own a groceries shop downtown, but were eventually run out of business by a larger store. They had to leave town, while I stayed to run my bookshop."

Penny frowned. "I'm sorry, Velvet. That's horrible."

Velvet also frowned. "That shop was their life. Losing it crushed them. But I hear they're doing quite well for themselves now, so it's not all bad."

"I'm glad," Penny half-smiled. "Let's talk about something else. What do you do for fun?"

"I'm a photographer. Whenever I find the time, I go out and take pictures of whatever I like."

Penny's face lit up. "That sounds amazing! I would love to see some of your photos!"

Velvet could feel her own smile widen. "I have my camera here! I could show you some of my most recent pictures!"

"Oh, yes, please!"

Velvet quickly pulled out her digital camera and searched for her pictures. Once she found them, she handed it to Penny.

As Penny scrolled through the photo, her eyes glistened with a sort of childish glee. Velvet actually found her to be quite gorgeous and was currently wishing she had a second camera to take a picture of her.

"These are amazing!" Penny stated, tearing Velvet out of her thoughts. "You're really good at this!"

Velvet could feel her cheeks warm up. She always got flustered whenever someone complimented her photography. "Thanks. It's a passion of mine. I've been taking photos ever since I was a little girl."

And so they continued to sit and talk. Discussing childhood adventures and future dreams, family and friends, work and hobbies. Before they knew it, the sun was starting to set.

"Oh, dear!" Velvet exclaimed. "It's that late already? I should get back home," she said as she got up.

"I'll walk you home!" Penny offered as she also got up.

"Oh, that's not necessary! My apartment is just down the road."

"I wanna do it!"

Velvet looked into Penny's eyes for a moment before nodding. She could not say no to those gorgeous emerald pools.

As they left the coffee shop and walked to Velvet's apartment, they continued talking and laughing.

"And then, this one time, Ruby..." Penny started, but was interrupted by a gruff male voice.

"Oi, lookie here boys!" They looked up to see four young men approaching them. "Looks like we got ourselves a freak!"

"Oh, no," Velvet groaned as one of the men came close.

"You got somethin' to say, freak?"

Velvet looked him in the eye. "Look, just leave us alone, please. We're not looking for trouble."

The man made a mock hurt expression. "You hear that, boys?" He said as he turned to his friends. "She thinks we're trouble!"

"Well, that's insulting!" One of them replied.

"My thoughts exactly!" He said as he turned back to Velvet. "I think we need to teach this freak some manners!" With that, he grabbed Velvet's, eliciting a pained yelp from her.

Velvet struggled for a bit. She was about to plead with him to let her go, when suddenly, Penny grabbed his arm, forcing him to let go, and shoved him into his friends.

"Leave her alone!" She yelled.

The one grabbed Velvet quickly regained his balance. "Well, well, this one's feisty! Looks like we're about to have some fun!" With that, he raised his fist and swung at Penny.

It all happened too fast for Velvet to see. All of a sudden, Penny vanished from in front of the man's fist, only to reappear right in front of him. Before he even realized he'd missed, Penny caught him with an uppercut, sending him straight to the ground.

There was silence. The man's friends just stared at him dumbfounded, before one of them shouted "Get her!" and they all lunged at Penny.

The woman quickly leaped forward and swept one man's legs, sending him flying into another. As they toppled over each other, she ducked under the fist of the third, jumped behind him, kicked him in the ankle to force him to his knees and knocked him out with a punch to the side of the head.

With the second man down, she focused on the other two, who were just scrambling to their feet.

Now more cautious, they slowly approached Penny. After a few moments, one of them got the courage to attack. Penny easily dodged the man's clumsy strikes as she danced around him. When her back was turned to the other attacker, he took the chance to attempt a hit. Penny caught the arm of the man in front of her and turned, pulling him between her and his friend's fist. As he took the hit, Penny continued to pull him and sent him flying headfirst into a wall.

Turning to the last man standing, she could see he was afraid. Eyes wide, breath ragged, entire body shaking. All it needed was one more push.

"Boo!" With a yelp, the man ran as fast as he could.

Satisfied, Penny dusted herself off before turning to Velvet, who was just staring at her, wide-eyed. "How...how did you...?"

Penny shrugged. "I took a few self-defense classes. It's no big..."

Penny was cut off by Velvet hugging her. "Thank you!"

Caught off guard, Penny just stood there for a moment before returning the hug. "Hey, it was nothing."

"Not for me! I've had to deal with jerks like that my entire life. It felt so good to watch them get what they deserve." She broke the hug and looked into Penny's eyes. "So, sincerely, thank you."

Penny smiled. "You're welcome." For a few moments, they just stood there, staring into each others eyes, before Velvet cleared her throat.

"I should probably get home before they wake up."

"Oh, yeah, that's probably a good idea."

And so they left the three unconscious men behind as they continued to Velvet's apartment, remaining mostly silent all the way.

"This is it," Velvet eventually said as she stopped in front of a building. "Thank you for accompanying me."

"It was my pleasure."

"I had a great time today, you know."

"Oh, me too! It was a lot of fun talking to you!"

Velvet smiled. "Perhaps we could do it again sometime."

Penny beamed. "I would love, too."

Velvet nodded, then leaned forward and kissed Penny on the cheek. "It's a date." She then walked to the door. As she gripped the knob, she turned back to Penny. "I'll see around." With that, she unlocked the door and walked in.

Penny stood there, frozen. Slowly, her hand rose to her cheek, gently palming the spot where Velvet had kissed her. Then, a smile grew on her face and she jumped up in the air before proceeding to skip down the road.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

" _And have I mentioned how fluffy her ears are?"_

"You might have," Ruby replied. _About a dozen times._ Ever since Penny started dating Velvet, she was all the ginger ever talked about. As happy as Ruby was for her friend, it was starting to grate on the nerves. And the fact that she was now sacrificing one of her precious free days to listen to it just made it worse. "Penny, shouldn't you be working right now?"

"Oh, don't worry about that! I've already finished a month's worth of work in advance. I'm all yours."

 _Great,_ Ruby thought sarcastically.

" _Speaking of which, how's your love life been? Any progress with Blake?"_

Ruby sighed. "Penny, listen." A knock on the door interrupted her. _Really?_ "Hang on! Someone's at the door," she said as she got up.

Opening the door, annoyance quickly turned to shock as she recognized the person in front of her.

A head of short black and red hair with horns sticking out, a sneer that seemed to be carved into his face and piercing black eyes that stared down at her in disgust. Adam, a man she had not seen in over ten years. She knew why he was here before he even spoke.

"Where is she?"

 **(**)**

"Come on, Mommy! Aunt Ruby is waiting!" Amber yelled as she ran ahead.

Blake just shook her head and smiled, gripping the plastic container in her hand. As thanks for letting them stay with her, Blake and Amber had gotten Ruby a cake.

 _I can just imagine her face when she sees the cookies stuck to it,_ Blake thought. _Her face will light up, her cheeks will get all flushed and perhaps she'll even let out that adorable squeal she does whenever she..._

"Mommy? Are you cold?" Amber's voice tore Blake from her thoughts.

"What? Why do you ask?"

"You're face is all red."

Blake lifted a hand to her face. Amber was right. Her face was very warm. She checked her pulse and found it to be going extremely fast. At first she thought she had caught something. But she didn't feel sick. She didn't feel woozy. She just felt...happy.

 _What is wrong with me?_

"Woah!" Once again, Blake looked up at the sound of her daughter's voice to see a police car parked in front of their apartment building.

 _Something's not right!_ Blake thought as she grabbed her daughter's hand and rushed for their apartment.

 _Ruby! Something's happened to Ruby! No! Please, god, no!_

Once they reached their floor, she immediately noticed the door to their apartment was wide open.

She rushed through the door.

There was Ruby, standing in the middle of the room, talking to a police officer.

It was like the weight of the world had been lifted off her. _She's fine._ "Ruby!" She called out in relief.

Ruby turned to her and Blake could feel her heart drop into her stomache. The left side of Ruby's face was covered by a massive black eye. Blake could feel herself drop the cake, but she didn't care. She ran over to Ruby.

"Ruby! Oh god, what happened to you? Who did this?"

Ruby paused for a moment, before turning to her left. Blake followed her gaze and her eyes widened as she saw him.

"Adam?" He was there. Sitting in a chair, hands cuffed, with another policeman standing next to him.

"We received a call about an assault in this apartment," the policeman who had been talking to Ruby explained. "When we arrived, Ms. Rose had Mr. Taurus pinned to the ground. It... led to some misunderstandings."

"They attempted to arrest me," Ruby translated.

"Until Ms. Rose made us understand that this was her apartment and that Mr. Taurus was the assailant. Everything's been cleared up."

"I'm not judging. I know you were just doing your job. The important thing is you stopped Adam."

"But..." Blake started. "What's he doing here?"

"He came here for you," Ruby answered. "He asked about you. Wanted to know what you were doing, where he could find you. When I refused to tell him, he attacked."

Blake shook her head, then turned to the policeman. "Can I talk to him?"

"Sure thing, ma'am. Just make sure not to get too close. He's dangerous."

Blake nodded. "I know." She walked over and knelt down in front of Adam, then just stared at him. When it became clear he wasn't going to talk first, she spoke up. "Why are you here?"

He didn't answer at first. Didn't even look at her. Eventually, he sighed. "I came for you."

Blake shook her head. "Why?"

"I heard...about your marriage. About your daughter. Then I heard about the divorce. I figured..."

"You figured I would be easy prey in my heart-broken state."

Adam flinched at the harsh tone of Blake's voice. "I just...wanted to see you again."

"To what end, Adam? Did you really think I would ever go back to you? You tried to take me away from my friends. Then you attacked them with your White Fang friends. How exactly did you think I was gonna react to seeing you again?"

"I don't know. Honestly, I..." he paused. "I wanted to see her."

"Her?"

Adam turned to Amber. "Her. The one who could have been my child, if things had been a bit different." He turned back to Blake, eyes full of sadness. "I did a lot of things I regret. Joining the White Fang, attacking innocent people. But the thing I regret most is driving you away. I...I guess I thought one day I would get you back. You would see the error of your ways and join the White Fang. But instead, you married another man. And I realized I had been the one in the wrong. I left the White Fang. Left it all behind. I wandered through life, trying to find something worth living for. Eventually, I heard of your divorce and thought that was my chance. I thought maybe if we just talked, you could find it in your heart to take me back. But then I knocked on the door and she opened. Her eyes grew cold at the sight of me and I realized nothing had changed. No matter how much I begged or pleaded, you would never take me back. And it...made me angry." He finally looked Blake in the eyes. "I'm sorry about your friend. I lost control. I'm sorry."

Blake shook her head. "So am I." She got up and turned to the officer. "I'm done."

He just nodded curtly. As Blake turned and walked away, the other officer joined his colleague and they brought Adam away.

Ruby was currently sitting on the couch next to Amber, pressing an ice-pack on her eye. As Blake approached, she smiled. "Thanks for the cake. Though I'm afraid the cookies crumbled when you dropped it."

Blake frowned. "I'm sorry. This was all my fault. If I wasn't here..."

"If you weren't here, my life would be a whole lot emptier. Adam's to blame here not you." Ruby stared at Blake for a moment before she nodded in agreement. Then she smiled. "He should be happy Yang wasn't here. She would've kicked his butt."

Blake quirked an eyebrow. "You think so? After what happened last time?"

"Hey, her arm healed."

Blake just shook her head, smiling. "So, wanna go grab a drink?"

"Yes, I could definitely use one. Although. There is something I need to do first. Meet you at the bar?"

"Sure."

 **(**)**

"So, that's basically it," Blake finished.

"Unbelievable," Weiss groaned. "Some men just don't know when to quit."

"Yeah, but damn, hats off to Rubes for kicking his butt!" Yang added. "Not that I'm surprised. My little sis is amazing."

"Yeah," Blake agreed, a light blush coloring her cheeks. "She is."

"What's that?"

Blake looked at Yang confused. "What's what?"

"Are you blushing?"

"What?! What are you talking about?"

Yang quickly turned to Weiss, seemingly screaming something to her with her eyes. After a moment, Weiss appeared to have understood what Yang was trying to tell her, as she groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"You two are unbelievable."

"What are you talking about?" Blake asked.

"You know what we're talking about!" Yang stated as she pointed a finger right in Blake's face. "You like Ruby!"

Blake's eyes widened and her face grew bright red. "What?!"

"You heard me! You! Like! Ruby!"

"I like aunt Ruby, too!" Amber exclaimed, reminding everyone she was sitting right next to her mother.

"No, not that kind of like, sweetie," Yang clarified. "I mean she likes Ruby like she used to like your daddy."

"So do I," Amber maintained. "Ruby's my new daddy!"

"Oh, yeah, exactly."

"No! She's not! She's just..."

"Don't take me for a fool, Blake!" Yang yelled. "I know what a woman in love looks like. Trust me! I've seen plenty of them!" Weiss groaned. "Just admit Blake! You like my sister!"

Blake just looked back at Yang, trying to find the right words. Eventually, she sighed. "Alright, I admit it. I do have...feelings for Ruby."

"I should punch you right in the face!" Blake jumped at the harsh statement. "After all these years, after she's finally gotten over you, now you choose to reciprocate her feelings?!"

"I didn't choose anything, okay? It just happened! It's not my fault Ruby is the most wonderful, intelligent, gorgeous person on the planet!" She looked down. "But I guess it is my fault for taking so long to notice it."

Yang sighed heavily. "I can't believe this." She then looked Blake in the eye. "Blake, I'm gonna be honest. I can't fully support this. After everything that's happened... I just can't. But I won't stop you from acting on your emotions. And if Ruby will have you, then I'll respect her decision."

"As will I," Weiss added.

Blake smiled and nodded. She was still confused by this new revelation, but she knew she had to confront her emotions. If Ruby was willing to give her shot, then they'll see where it goes. If not...so be it.

"Speak of the devil," Yang said as Ruby entered the bar and walked over to them.

"Hey, guys!"

"Hey, Ruby," Blake replied. "Hey, can we talk for a moment?"

"One sec. Guys! There's someone I would like you to meet." She motioned to the door, where someone else was entering the bar. This new woman was wearing a red sweater with matching pants and a black beanie which covered her left eye, strands of purple hair sticking out. As she approached, Ruby wrapped her arm around her.

"Guys, this is May Zhedong. My girlfriend."


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

"I think that went rather well," Ruby said as she leaned back against the headrest.

Her girlfriend May wrapped an arm around her torso and hugged her naked form. "Eh, it was alright."

Ruby glared down at her. "I was talking about you meeting my friends."

"Ohh," May feigned realization before giving Ruby a cheeky grin. "Then I agree with you."

Ruby shook her head before smiling. "So, what did you think of them?"

"Let's see. Your sister, in spite of her puns, was fun. Your friends was very polite, though it did seem forced at times."

"Yeah, she generally goes into "prim-and-proper"-mode when talking to strangers."

"Amber is probably the most adorable little thing I've ever met. I mean, my god, most little kids I see annoy the hell out of me, but she is a treasure."

"I know, right?! The little darling is just a ray of sunshine!" They both laughed before descending into silence, knowing what was coming next. "So," Ruby finally broke the silence, "what did you think of Blake?"

May took a deep breath. Blake had been the true test of the evening. Once Ruby had decided to make things more serious between the two of them, she told May about her relationship with Blake. Or, lack thereof more like. May had listened. And by the end of it all, she'd hated Blake. Hated this woman who had blindly caused so much suffering for Ruby. She really wanted to throttle her at that point, but Ruby calmed her down.

" _It's not Blake's fault I fell in love with her,"_ she'd argued. _"And it's not her fault for being straight."_

May understood, but still had some reservations towards Blake. So, she agreed to meet Blake, along with Ruby's other friends, and reevaluate what kind of person she was.

The first thing she'd noticed was how stunning she was. From her flowing black hair to her shimmering golden eyes to her slender, yet curvy, figure, Blake was absolutely gorgeous. May immediately saw how Ruby could get so infatuated with her. Still...

"She was very reserved. I mean, I know you said she was a bit of an introvert but, wow. She barely said anything and almost never made eye-contact. It's like she was very uncomfortable being there."

"I know what you mean. She was acting really strange, like she wasn't herself. I don't really know what was going on either."

May hummed in response, then lifted her hand and gently ran her fingers across Ruby's black eye, making her flinch. "How bad is it?"

"It still stings, but most of the pain has died down by now."

"I'm glad." May wrapped her arm back around Ruby. "You know, it was really brave of you to stand to the man like that. Especially since you already knew what he was capable of."

"That's exactly why I did it! I wasn't gonna let him anywhere near Blake or Amber!"

May smiled. She admired Ruby. She would not hesitate to do what was right. She'd seen this before, in smaller instances. Helping an old woman cross the street, finding a girl's lost teddy. Even when they first met at the coffee shop a few weeks back, when May had realized she forgot her wallet, Ruby had offered to pay for her. May had never seen anything like that happen before. She had already developed a bit of a crush for the woman then and there and was all to happy to agree to a date when asked.

"I just hope I'll be able to get along well with your friends. You seem really close."

"Hey." Ruby gave her a soft squeeze. "Don't you worry. They're great gals. You'll get along just fine."

May smiled and closed her eyes as she nuzzled into Ruby. "Yeah, I'm sure everything will be fine."

 **A/N: Short, I know. This is just meant to set up their relationship a bit. Hopefully, I'll have more for you soon. Anyway, thanks for reading, leave a review if you are so inclined and have a nice day.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

The sun was shining brightly today. Amber always enjoyed the feeling of the sun on her ears. They twitched as they bathed in its light.

The sound of a car door opening caught her attention as her mother sat her in the back seat and put the seat belt around her. Closing the door, she then walked around and got in the driver's seat.

Amber stared down at her legs kicking back and forth. Her mother had been a lot more quiet since that day aunt Ruby introduced her new girlfriend. Amber still didn't really understand. She thought aunt Ruby loved her mommy. Why was she suddenly with this other woman? And why didn't mommy say anything? Didn't she want to be with aunt Ruby? She tried asking her mom, but she just said she shouldn't concern herself with it. It was all so confusing.

Which is why Amber was so glad to be spending the day with Hans. Hans was smart, he could tell her what was wrong with the grown-ups.

Once they reached Hans' apartment, Amber gave aunt Weiss and aunt Yang a quick hug before running off to Hans.

Hans was currently sitting at the table, drawing something, when Amber sat down next to him. His current drawing was just as boring as every other she'd seen. A ship sailing across a calm sea. Amber never really liked Hans' drawings. Although they were very neat, every line drawn carefully, they lacked a sort of...spirit. And color. Hans only ever used the black crayon to draw the lines and never, _ever_ colored his drawings.

He turned and looked at her. "Hey, Amber," he said in that somber tone of his. "How are you?"

"I'm good, I guess. I'm not really sure. Something really confusing happened recently."

"Oh? Oh, right. That thing with Ruby and your mother. Right, I heard mother and Yang talk about that."

"Oh, good. So you understand what happened?"

"Ruby got a girlfriend."

"But doesn't she love my mommy?"

"I don't think so. Why would she get a girlfriend if she did?"

"Well, my mommy loves her, but she didn't say anything. Why didn't she tell aunt Ruby how she feels? I mean, when I want a toy that you're playing with, I tell you, and you give it to me."

"Or you take it if I refuse."

"So shouldn't it be the same for them?"

Hans gave her a confused look. "I don't think that's the same thing."

"Well, it should be!" Amber pouted. "Why do grown-ups have to make everything so difficult? I mean, when you're mom got together with aunt Yang, they didn't make things difficult, right?"

Hans gazed off as he remembered those days when Yang first moved in with them. Back then, she and his mother were being loud in various ways. "Things...aren't always easy between the two."

"They're not." Amber was disappointed. Was love really that hard? She propped herself up on her elbow, grabbed a piece of paper and started to draw. "I always thought love was simple."

"If love was simple, we'd still have our fathers."

Amber nodded. She couldn't argue with that. Silently, she continued to drag her crayon across the paper, drawing a simpler world.

 **(**)**

"Thank you for taking care of her," Ruby said as she hugged Weiss.

"Hey, it's no problem. Amber and Hans get along really well and it's always lovely having her here."

While they were chatting, May decided to go over and see Amber. She swooned internally when she saw the little faunus girl with her head lying on the table, her back slowly rising and sinking as she gently snored. She was about to shake the little girl awake when she noticed the drawing she was lying on. Slowly, to not wake Amber up, she pulled the paper out from under her. It was a very colorful drawing with a yellow house in the background, trees of various colours and birds of all sizes. But the most prominent thing in the picture were the three figures in the front. Two adult women, one with long black hair and cat ears, the other with short red hair, and a little girl who resembled the black haired woman. Clearly, Blake, Ruby and Amber. May giggled at the little family, until she noticed that the two women were holding hands, and realized that they were just that. A family. Two mothers and their daughter.

She could feel her own heartbeat slow down. Ruby always spoke fondly of Blake. She never had a bad thing to say about her. She lived with her and her daughter, spending almost every free moment with them. And Blake, Blake had been acting strange since the moment May met her. She always thought that was only because they had just met, but now...

If this is what they were. A family. Mother, mother and daughter.

 _What does that make me?_

"May?" May nearly jumped at hearing her own name. So surprised, she barely noticed how she slipped the drawing behind her back as she turned to face Ruby. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, everything's fine," May lied as she put on a fake smile. "I guess I just kinda got lost looking at her. She looks so adorable when she sleeps."

Ruby beamed. "I know, right?! You could just look at her for hours!"

Another pang in her heart. Amber truly was like a daughter to Ruby.

Suddenly, May was once again very conscious of the piece of paper behind her back. It was ridiculous. To get this worked up over a child's drawing. But, something in her heart told her that she was right. That those three were a happy family and she was just the fifth wheel that had come crashing into them.

"May?"

May looked up to see that Ruby had already woken Amber and they were now waiting for her in the doorway. "Ah, sorry!" She said as she jogged over to them, stuffing the drawing in her pocket in the process.

As they walked down the hallway, May watched Ruby and Amber, who were walking in front of her, chatting happily.

 _Like mother and daughter._

She felt the paper in her hands, clearly remembering the two women holding hands.

 _What does that make Blake?_

She squeezed tightly, teeth clenched as she crumpled the paper in her hand.

 _What does that make me?_

 **A/N: Man, it is really difficult writing for little kids and making them sound realistic. Anyway, thanks for reading.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

When Ruby came home from work, all she wanted to do was hop on the couch and watch some television. She didn't expect Blake and Amber to be home yet as they were still out shopping. She certainly didn't expect to see her girlfriend sitting on the couch.

"May?" She said as she closed the door behind her. "What are you doing here?"

Slowly, May turned and looked at her. "Ruby." Just from that, Ruby knew something was off.

"What's wrong?"

May turned back to the ground, then patted the spot next to her on the couch. "Sit down! We need to discuss something!"

Ruby's heart started pounding. There was no way this meant anything good for her. Slowly, she walked over and sat down next to May.

And there they sat, silently fidgeting. Ruby knew that May would eventually speak up. She just had to wait.

Finally, May pulled something out of her pocket. "Yesterday, I found this." With that, she handed Ruby a piece of paper.

She took it and looked at it. It was a drawing. A drawing of her, Blake and Amber. Now, she was thoroughly confused. "Umm..."

"You don't see it." May shook her head. "Of course not."

"See what? It's a completely normal drawing."

May turned to her. "You're holding hands!"

Ruby's brows shot up in confusion. She then looked back at the drawing and realized she and Blake were holding hands. "That's what this is about? You're upset because Amber drew me and Blake holding hands?"

"I know it's silly, but... When I saw that drawing, something clicked. You and Blake live together and have a daughter."

" _She_ has a daughter. And they're both living here because they have nowhere else to go. And they're my friends!"

"I know, but still, you and Amber really do act like mother and daughter."

"And what if we do. I was there when she was born. I bathed her, changed her diapers. I heard her speak her first word." She went silent as she remembered all the countless other treasured moments she shared with the little faunus. "That girl is like a daughter to me, May. It's honestly not all that surprising that she would see me as a replacement for her father."

"I don't think it's just that. You and Blake go way back. You've known each other since high school, you were there for each other when things were at their worst. You even told me that you were in love with her."

"Was! I don't love her like that anymore and she never loved me like that!"

"I want to believe that. I do. But I just feel like I'm intruding. Like I'm just a mistress who's slowly destroying a perfectly happy family."

"No!" Ruby yelled as she grabbed May's and looked her in the eye. "That's not true! Blake isn't my girlfriend, you are! You're not intruding!" _Please, May. Don't do it! Don't go!_ "I need you!" That seemed to spark something in May. For a moment, Ruby hoped she'd convinced her. Until she realized what she saw in May's eye wasn't joy. It was sorrow. "Please."

"Say you love me." That caught Ruby off guard. "Tell me there's a future for us. That we can be a family like you are with them right now. Look me in the eye and say you love me. And I'll stay."

She wanted to. She wanted to tell May that she loved her. That they could be everything she wanted them to be. She wanted her to stay. She opened her mouth to tell her everything.

And the words died in her mouth. She couldn't bring herself to say anything. She was silent.

May gave her a sad smile. "It's too bad." She got up and made for the door.

But was stopped when Ruby grabbed her hand. "Please," Ruby whined. "Don't go." _Don't leave me alone._

"I'm sorry, Ruby," May said as she jerked her hand away. "Even if I did stay, I wouldn't be able to help you." She looked back at Ruby, tears streaming from her eye. "I wish you luck." She then turned and left.

Ruby was alone.

Again.

Alone in the dark.

Again.

Alone, stuck in this pit of misery.

Again.

She thought she'd escaped it. She thought she could live her own life. She thought she could be free.

Instead, here she was, crying, alone, on the couch, because she was hopelessly in love with a woman who would never love her back.

Again.

 **A/N: Now how much of an asshole would I be if I ended the story with this. Well, don't worry. I won't be like that. But this story is coming to a close. 2, perhaps 3 more chapters left. Thanks for reading.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

Amber had heard it first.

At first, Blake was confused when Amber asked "What's that?". Then she heard it, too. A pitiful sobbing that seemed to come from their apartment. Swifter than even she could comprehend, she opened the door and rushed in to find Ruby crying alone in the dark.

"Aunt Ruby!" came Amber's shriek as she rushed to the couch. Ruby barely had time to react as Amber jumped up to her, wrapping her arms around her neck. "What's wrong?"

"Amber?" Was all Ruby managed to squeeze out before wrapping her arms around the little girl and crying into her shoulder.

Meanwhile, Blake just stood there, dumbfounded. What the hell happened? Why was Ruby crying? She wanted to know. She needed to know. But she couldn't ask. Not now.

So she waited.

Eventually, Ruby's sobs turned to quiet sniffles. Amber then started running a hand through Ruby's hair, saying "It's okay, it's okay" over and over again.

Finally, Ruby pulled back from Amber and wiped the tears out of her eyes. "God, how pathetic. A little child has to console me. No offense, Amber." Amber just lowered her head in response.

"But, why were you crying?" Blake asked. Only then did Ruby seem to notice her. Her eyes went wide and her face adopted a new expression. Sadness and pain, accompanied by... anger?

Then she turned away. "I don't wanna talk about it!"

That hurt Blake more than she could have ever imagined. Like a cold blade stuck in her heart. "Ruby, please. It's obvious you're hurting."

Ruby got up. "I don't. Want. To talk about it!" With that she made for the bedroom.

"Ruby, please. I'm your friend."

"I KNOW YOU'RE MY FRIEND!" Ruby snapped, whirling around to face Blake. "That's all you are! All you've ever been! My friend! And I have been nothing but a friend to you, even when I tried to be more! Then I tried to be less! To be nothing! To cut you out of my life! But you just kept pulling me back! And like a weed, you wrapped yourself around my life and smothered any relationship I tried to have!

"I thought I was free of you! I thought I could finally take back my life! But no! My girlfriend leaves and here I am again! Stuck with you!"

Blake was shocked. Had she heard that right? Ruby was still suffering because of her? She didn't want that. She wanted to tell Ruby how she felt. She wanted to pull the woman into her arms and tell her how much she loved her. How she wanted to spend the rest of her life with her. How she, too, had suffered. But she couldn't. As she looked at Ruby, staring at nothing in particular, tears streaming from her eyes, she could only say one thing.

"Do you want me to leave?"

Ruby looked her in the eyes and Blake could see the turmoil within. Heart wrestling head. Emotion fighting sense. But, finally, she nodded. "Yes," she brought out in a barely audible whisper.

Blake returned the nodded, her heart torn to pieces. "Amber, come on. Let's..."

"NO!" The little girl shrieked, startling both women. "You stupid, dumb grown ups," she shouted tears streaming from her eyes. "I'm not leaving!"

"Amber, please. Ruby wants..."

"Ruby wants to be with you, mommy! Just like you want to be with her!"

Blake was mortified. This wasn't the time. "Amber, please..."

"NO! I'm not leaving until you tell her!"

Blake couldn't believe it. This couldn't be happening.

"Blake?" Blake's eyes shot up to meet confused pools of silver. "What's she talking about?"

 _No,_ she thought. _Not like this._ "I... Amber, she..." _Damn it, Amber. What the hell am I supposed to tell her?_

"Blake?" Those silver eyes captured her again and, before she could think, she spoke.

"I love you." And there it was. She said it. It was done. And there was no way of taking it back. All she could do was stay the course. "I love you, more than I ever loved Adam or Sun. More than I ever thought I could love anyone other than my daughter. You're the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing I think about when I go to bed. I wanted to tell you, Ruby. All this time, I wanted to tell you so badly. But you were with May. You seemed so happy. And after all the misery I'd put you through... It seemed only right to let you go." She looked down, her hands fidgeting. "I'm sorry, Ruby. I never intended..."

"ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!" The loud yells caused Blake to look up, just in time to see something flying towards her face. Quickly, she managed to dodge whatever it was, hearing it shatter against the wall behind her. She looked at Ruby, who was already getting ready to throw another glass at her.

"Ruby, wait!" She yelled as she dodged the projectile. "I understand that you're angry, but..."

"Understand this!" Ruby yelled as she tackled Blake to the ground. "14 years! 14 god damned years I have loved you! 14 years of heartache and now, just NOW, you decide you love me, too?"

"I didn't _decide_ anything, okay, it just happened!" Blake yelled as she struggled against the younger woman.

" _Just happened_? Do you have any idea what you put me through?"

"Yes, I do! I've felt the same these past few weeks!"

"That is not the same! That is _nothing_ compared to four! Teen! God! Damned! Years!"

"STOP IT!" They both turned to Amber. "You're hurting each other!"

Ruby stopped. Blake could feel her anger abating. Then, she climbed off of her. "That's what our relationship is," she said, bitterly. "Pain. No good has come out of this. Only misery." She turned and walked away.

"That's not true," Blake replied. She was staring at the ceiling, but she knew Ruby had stopped. "Not at all. Our relationship...has brought so much joy into our lives. From the moment I met you, you have been the best thing in my life. You were always the first one to cheer me up when I was sad, the first to share my joy when life was good. When I was dating Sun, I often couldn't fully enjoy it, because it seemed like I had lost you in the process. And when we had Amber... I remember how happy you were when you first saw her. I'll always remember the look on you're face the first time you pressed her to your cheek, her little arms wrapped around you."

Then, slowly, she got up and faced Ruby. "Look me in the eye and tell me again that our relationship didn't leave you with a single happy memory."

Ruby was silent. Not for long, but long enough to make Blake worry. "That's the thing," she finally answered. "Whenever I think back, that bad memories outnumber the good ones. Yet the good ones outweigh the bad by far. That moment when I caught you and Sun on the roof was nothing compared to Amber's birth. All the years of pain and suffering could never compare to the past year the two of you have lived with me. But is that enough? After everything we've been through, how much of a chance do we have at a normal relationship?"

"I don't know," Blake answered, slowly walking towards Ruby. "But isn't it worth finding out?"

"After all these years, after all I've been through." She turned to face Blake. "I'm broken, Blake."

Blake gentle Ruby's hand in her own and kissed it. "Let me fix you."

Gold met silver and their faces slowly inched closer until, finally, their lips met.

Blake's heart immediately started pounding faster as she felt Ruby's soft lips. Letting go of Ruby's hand and wrapping her arms around her neck, she deepened the kiss.

Ruby then wrapped her arms around Blake's waist and pushed herself further, simultaneously forcing her tongue into her mouth.

Overcome with passion, Blake completely lost track of time. Before she knew it, she'd run out of air and was forced to break the kiss. They both panted heavily.

"That was... incredible," Blake said.

"Yeah... better than I ever dreamed."

"Ahem."

They both turned to Amber, standing behind them, face completely red, staring abashedly at the ground.

Now very that they had been making out in front of a little girl, both of them took a step away from each other and lowered their heads in shame.

"So," Amber spoke up. "Does this mean aunt Ruby is now my mommy as well?"

Blake and Ruby looked at each other and smiled. "I guess so," Blake answered.

"Yay!" Amber shouted as she jumped into Ruby's arms. "Mommy Ruby!"

As Ruby caught Amber and spun her around happily, Blake could feel her heartbeat quicken again.

They would have a lot to fix. A lot of past hurts to heal. It would be a long and difficult road.

But as she saw the laughing faces of the two girls she loved the most in the world, she knew they could do it. No matter how long it would take to get there.

It would be worth the wait.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

 **(1 year later)**

"I do." Ruby smiled happily as she looked up at the altar. Coco and Nora both looked beautiful in their wedding dresses. Coco, for once, wasn't wearing her sunglasses, so one could actually see the sparkle in their eye if they looked close enough. And Nora was beaming, her blue eyes shimmering and cheeks covered in a faint blush.

"I hereby declare you wife and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

And they did. The two brides immediately closed the distance between them and kissed each other passionately.

As the guests applauded, they broke the kiss and made their way down the aisle.

"Who would have thought," Blake spoke up from next to Ruby, "one chance meeting between your ex-girlfriend and your highschool friend would end like this."

"Yup, all thanks to you."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you. If not for you, I never would have met Coco, which means Nora would never have met Coco."

Blake giggled. "I see your point." She got up and Ruby took the moment to admire her. She was currently wearing an elegant purple dress with a black rose attached to it just above her left breast. Ruby wore a similar red dress, also with a black rose in the same spot. As Blake got up, Ruby saw Amber also hop off her chair. The little faunus had also chosen a red dress which, quite frankly, reminded Ruby of a tutu. But Amber had insisted and Ruby had to admit, she looked adorable.

"Well, then," Ruby said as she also got up, "time to eat."

 **(**)**

"They make an odd couple," Weiss said as she looked at Nora and Coco, as they were currently cutting the cake.

Team RWBY had their own table. Jaune, Ren and Pyrrha had been seated with Coco's family, as well as Velvet and Penny.

Weiss had chosen a beautiful white dress and wore matching silk gloves on her hands. Yang had chosen a simple yellow dress that seemed oddly concealing for Yang. Ruby also noticed they were both wearing matching necklaces of white gold.

"How so?" Ruby asked.

"I mean, they only met a few times. And when you broke up with Coco, Nora chanced upon her and took her out on a sympathy date. And, somehow, they fell in love and got married. What do they even have in common?"

"They both like sweets," Ruby answered.

"And they both really like hitting things," Yang added.

"I suppose." Weiss took a sip of her wine.

"Hey, girls!" Nora bellowed as she approached the table. "Just wanted to give a quick heads up, we're about to toss the bouquet."

"Is that really necessary?" Weiss asked. "It's such a silly tradition."

"Are you kidding? Watching desperate women fight over some flowers is the best tradition there is!" With that, Nora happily skipped away.

After a short moment, Yang got up.

"Are you serious?" Weiss asked.

"Come on, babe. It's only a matter of time anyway." Yang winked. "We might as well make it official."

Weiss' face turned red and she looked away. "You dunce! Go ahead and play you're silly game."

With a laugh, Yang walked away.

As Ruby watched her sister leave, she noticed Blake getting up as well. "Blake?"

"Seriously?" Weiss asked.

Blake shrugged. "Might as well." And then she was gone as well.

So, Ruby and Weiss sat in silence, Weiss taking another sip of wine.

"So," Ruby spoke up, "have you two actually discussed...you know?"

"Marriage?" Weiss responded, to which Ruby just nodded. "Yang brought it up a couple times, but I just assumed it was because of this wedding."

Ruby nodded. "And what if it's not? What if she actually...asks?"

"I'd say yes."

That took Ruby off guard. "R-really?"

Weiss sighed. "Yang is...dear to me. When I was with Neptune, I thought I loved him. But, when I realized I loved Yang, I also realized that I'd never felt anything even remotely comparable towards Neptune. Yang...has been good to me. And to Hans. When I'm with her, the entire world just seems brighter. Ruby, I could name a million other reasons on why I'd marry your sister. But, I believe one is enough. I want to. I really do. So, if she were to ask me, I'd say yes in a heartbeat." She then paused, a contemplative look in her eyes. "Maybe I'd hesitate a little. Make her nervous," she said with a devious grin that made Ruby giggle. "What about you?"

Ruby's smile faded and she sighed. "I don't know. I...I love Blake. I do, but...after everything that's happened..."

"You need time. I understand."

"This past year has been full of ups and downs. The two of us have been through so much together. But, I can tell, it's getting better with every day." Ruby smiled. "We'll get there. In time."

A flurry of shrieks followed by a collective sigh of disappointment announced the tossing and catching of the bouquet.

Ignoring the noise, Ruby looked into Weiss' eyes. "I'm sure of it. When the time comes, I'll be able to say yes."

Weiss gave her a warm smile, but suddenly blocked out by flowers. "My lady," Ruby heard Blake say.

She looked up at her girlfriend, who happily smiled at her. Gingerly, she took the bouquet and gave it a sniff.

 _I guess that time will be sooner than I thought._ Despite her previous reservations, Ruby couldn't help but smile at the thought.

 **A/N: And there you have it. I first got the idea for this story after seeing Blake blush at Sun in Volume 3. Terrified at the prospect of Eclipse actually becoming canon, I wrote this story as a form of protest. Now, six months later, it's become my biggest and most popular story on this site. I would like to take this moment to thank everyone who followed, favorited and/or reviewed this story. It has been a great motivator in continuing this story and I am overwhelmed to see how many people enjoyed. Now that I'm done with it, I think I'll stick to writing one-shots for now.**

 **Thank you again for reading. Have a great day.**


	21. Halloween Update

**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY.**

Blake sighed as she approached the door to her apartment. Her shift at the book store had finally ended and now she could enjoy Halloween with her family and friends. Her girlfriend, Ruby, had decided to throw a Halloween party at their apartment and even took the day off to set everything up. The thought of her red-headed roommate made Blake's heart beat faster. This would be their first Halloween as a couple and Ruby had promised her a wonderful night.

As she opened the door to her apartment, she was greeted with the sight of her girlfriend lying on the couch, her daughter Amber hunched over her stomache, going "OMNOMNOMNOM".

Upon seeing her enter, Ruby reached out to her. "Blake! Help! I'm being devoured by an adorable little zombie!"

Said zombie quickly turned to face Blake, her golden eyes beaming with joy. "MOMMY! You're home!" She squealed as she jumped off the couch and rushed over.

Blake quickly leaned down and took her daughter in her arms. "I see you two have been busy," she said as she inspected the face-paint that made Amber look like a walking corpse. Then she looked around. Their apartment had been almost excessively decorated with pumpkins and ghosts and spiders. Tables had been set up with bowls and plates full of strange looking food and drink. "Ah, the famous Ruby Rose Halloween buffet. The highlight of every Halloween."

"Yup, dirt and worms, eyeballs in puss, roasted brains. And let's not forget my pumpkin muffins."

The mere thought made Blake's mouth water. "Oh, Ruby, this is amazing."

Ruby gave her a loving smile. "Only the best for my girls."

Blake returned the smile and took the chance to check out Ruby's costume. There wasn't much to it. Ruby was wearing a black tattered cloak and behind her Blake noticed a scythe leaning against the couch. "So, you're death this year?"

"Yup, I just liked the idea. I also got your costume in the bedroom. Why don't you go change? Me and Amber have to get ready for our trick-or-treating run."

"Yay, Candy! We're gonna get lots, right, Mama Ruby?!"

"Oh, heck yeah! We're not coming back until we got enough to feed us 'til next year!"

As the two of them cheered, Blake went to the bedroom.

As it would take a while for all the guests to arrive, and because it was a vital tradition, Ruby decided to take Amber, Hans and Atlas out trick-or-treating while Blake stayed at home and tended to the guests.

As she closed the door behind her, she noticed the black ninja outfit lying on the bed. _Oh god, Ruby, I hoped you'd forgotten about that._ Since she didn't really know what she wanted to be for Halloween, she simply let Ruby decide. It would seem she had gotten her a ninja outfit as a reminder of a certain book series she'd read when they were teenagers.

Shaking her head, she changed into her costume. As she was getting changed, she heard the doorbell ring. _Ah, good. They're already here._

Once she was changed, she entered the living room just as Ruby opened the door. Weiss and Yang were the first to enter with Weiss' son Hans. Weiss was dressed in a grey soldier's uniform and cap, a musket slung over her shoulder. Yang was wearing a golden princess costume, her hair was in a ponytail and she wore a tiara on her head. Hans, however, was dressed in a simple tuxedo.

Ruby took one look at Hans, then turned to Weiss. "His grandfather pick out the costume?"

"He was very insistent," Weiss replied. "Also, Hans really didn't want to wear the clown costume Yang got him."

"Oh, come on, that would've been so cute!"

Next up, Jaune and Pyrrha entered with their son, Atlas. Jaune was dressed as Batman, Pyrrha as Catwoman and Atlas was Robin.

"I think you guys got your costumes mixed," Ruby said upon seeing them.

"Funny," Jaune said dryly. "Probably would've been better if Yang hadn't already said it."

"Hey, Amber!" Atlas interjected. "I really like your costume!"

"Thank you! Yours is great, too."

Atlas then turned to Hans. "Hans!" He quickly looked him up and down, then frowned. "Who died?"

Amber started laughing loudly, while Hans barely reacted.

"His grandfather picked out the costume," Amber explained between gasps.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I guess you won't be getting that much candy tonight."

Hans remained silent.

"Well, anyway, let's go Amber!" Atlas said as he grabbed Amber's hand.

Immediately, Hans reached out and grabbed Amber's other hand. "She's going with me!"

"What?!" Atlas pouted. "No way, she likes me more than you!"

"Yeah, right. You look like one of those things people shoot at."

"Targets," Weiss said.

"Right, those."

As the boys continued to argue, Ruby walked over to the couch, picked up her scythe and walked back. "Alright, boys," she said as she held up the scythe menacingly, "you try anything with my little girl, and you will answer to me! Understand!" Both boys quickly nodded. "Great," Ruby replied, now smiling sweetly. "Then let's head out!"

After saying their goodbyes to the others, the four set out on their quest for candy.

"Atlas seems like quite the handful," Weiss said.

"He is," Jaune replied. "Honestly, I'm glad to be here. It'll be nice to just relax."

"Indeed," Pyrrha agreed. "I'm sure this will be a lovely evening."

And it was. Many other guests soon showed up, including Nora, Coco, Ren, Penny, Velvet and a few others and they spent the evening talking, playing games and eating.

The highlight of the night came when Yang dared Nora to drink up the entire bowl of punch. Nora, of course, accepted the challenge, picking up the bowl and quickly chugging it down while the rest of the guests chanted "Chug! Chug! Chug!".

And soon, the bowl was empty. Smiling triumphantly, Nora made to smash the bowl upon the floor, but Blake stopped her.

"Remembered what happened the last time you did that?"

Nora paled. "I never wanna see Ruby that mad again."

"So put the bowl on the table."

Nodding quickly, Nora gently placed the bowl on the table.

"Atta girl, Nora. I'm proud of you," Coco said as she walked up to her wife.

Nora happily jumped into Coco's arms and made to give her a kiss before letting out a ground shaking burp. For a moment, the entire room was silent as she stared at her wife with a horrified expression. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Coco replied. "I knew what I was getting into when I said yes."

Now beaming brightly, Nora kissed Coco deeply.

Then, at around 10pm, Ruby came back with the kids, carrying massive bags of candy with her.

"Blake, I'm proud to say that tonight was a sound success!"

"I see that. That's quite the haul. Hey, why is Atlas so sad?"

"Oh, that's because Hans got more candy than he did."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah, turns out the tuxedo really works for him."

"Seems that way." She then knelt down to face Amber. "Did you have fun tonight, sweetie?"

"So much fun!" The little girl beamed. "And we got so much candy! It's great!"

"I'm glad."

"Hey, mommy, can me and Atlas sleep over at Hans' tonight?"

"If it's okay with Weiss. I'll go talk to her."

Weiss agreed to let the two kids stay over and so, after spending a little more time at the party, she, Yang and the kids left. Over the next two hours, more guests started to leave. By the time it was midnight, Ruby and Blake were alone, cleaning the apartment.

"Yet another successful Halloween!" Ruby exclaimed happily.

"I just hope you don't eat too much of that candy at once. I don't want you to end up in the emergency room again."

Ruby stared at her. "Blake, three times that happened! You should really give me some credit!"

"Sure, I'll give you credit," Blake said as she tossed her garbage in the corner.

"What are you doing?" Ruby asked.

Blake just walked up to her and wrapped her arms around her waist. "I don't feel like cleaning up."

Ruby stared at her. "Oh?" She brought out as she dropped her bag. "Then what do you feel like doing?"

Blake responded by kissing Ruby and gently pushing her down onto the couch. "I feel like thanking you for the lovely evening."

"Well, I, heheh, anything for you, darling."

Blake smiled. "Then it's time to start our own party."

 **A/N: Halloween update. I know I could have written this as a separate one-shot, but I was too lazy to come up with a title, so I stuffed it in here instead.**


End file.
